Philippines Diving

The Philippines is a lively melting pot, with over 110 dialects spoken and a hodgepodge of cultural and racial identities. Similarly, the diving around this singular Southeast Asian nation has a bit of everything—hundreds of coral species, and the world’s greatest diversity of reef fish. Savor the ultimate transect of this archipelagic wonderland by bookending a week aboard the nation’s top liveaboard vessel with time diving from two of its luxury resorts. Explore the mind-boggling marine diversity and fabled volcanic sands of Dumaguete on Negros Island; sail north through the Visayas, accessing the Whale Sharks of Oslob; the massive sardine baitballs off Moalboal; and the Thresher Shark cleaning station of Malapascua. End in Puerto Galera’s legendary Verde Passage, having enjoyed the very best of the Coral Triangle’s wall, macro and muck diving—all in warm waters. Join Apex on an exceptional Philippines Diving adventure, brimming with megadiversity, both above and below the water.

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3
• Days 4 – 6
• Day 7
• Day 8
• Day 9
• Day 10
• Day 11
• Day 12
• Day 13
• Day 14
• Day 15 & 16
• Day 17

• Sunday, January 11: Arrive Manila, Philippines

  Arrive in the Philippines’ mega-capital, a massive tangle of colonial Spanish cathedrals, shimmering modern high rises, labyrinthine street markets, and high-caliber food and art scenes. Transfer to the Belmont Hotel, located near the airport, for a two-night stay.

• Monday, January 12: Manila

  Meet your fellow travelers and expedition leaders at a welcome breakfast and briefing followed by a tour of this fascinating city. See Makati, the opulent central business district; Quiapo, with its herbalist stalls and fortune-tellers; and Binondo, Manila’s historic Chinatown. Stop at Rizal Park, named in honor of the country’s national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. Take a walking tour of the beautifully preserved 16^th-century walled city of Intramuros. Visit Manila Cathedral, destroyed and rebuilt 7 times; San Agustin Church, the only building left intact after the destruction of Intramuros in WWII; and the storied Fort Santiago, with its lovely gardens and fountains. Dinner and overnight at Belmont Hotel.

• Tuesday, January 13: Manila / Dumaguete

  After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a flight to Dauin, on Negros Island, the Philippines’ third largest island. Atlantis Dumagueteresort provides a base for some of the country’s most varied diving, as it is in close proximity to several marine sanctuaries, with a stunning diversity of sea life. Dinner and overnight at Atlantis Dumaguete.

• Wednesday – Friday, January 14 – 16: Dumaguete

  Begin your exploration of Dumaguete’s marine riches directly offshore from the resort, where shallow reefs and seagrass flats offer relaxed diving and a haven to a mind-boggling array of life. Get reacquainted with “old friends”, from varied butterflyfishes and angelfishes to sweetlips and boxfishes, all while keeping an eye out for the fabulous “muck critters” for which this area is famous: abundant frogfishes, Pegasus Seamoth, Flamboyant Cuttlefish, Blue-ringed Octopus, a plethora of nudibranches, and with luck, even the fabled Mimic Octopus. A day trip to nearby Apo Island’s pristine coral reefs complements your diving experience with prolific Green Turtles, Banded Sea Kraits, and massive schools of jacks, barracudas, and snappers. Three full days of diving offers the chance to return to favorite sites and will barely feel enough time to fully appreciate this marine wonderland. Dinners and overnights at Atlantis Dumaguete.

• Saturday, January 17: Dumaguete / Embark Atlantis Azores

  After a final day of diving near Dumaguete, board the Atlantis Azores, the Philippines’ premier dive liveaboard vessel and your home for the next seven nights. Settle into your state-of-the-art cabin, enjoy sunset cocktails and dinner, and overnight travel to the first dive destination of your voyage through the Visayas.

• Sunday, January 18: Oslob & Sumilon

  Fishermen in Oslob started feeding Whale Sharks about 15 years ago, and the sharks soon became daily visitors. Atlantis only supports snorkeling with the Whale Sharks, in accordance with local and international protective guidelines. A morning spent in the midst of these 40-foot-long “gentle giants” will not soon be forgotten. Afterwards, head to the tranquility of nearby Sumilon Island, surrounded by crystalline water and pristine white sand beaches. Enjoy exploring exquisite coral gardens and steep drop-offs, watching for Blacktip and Whitetip Reef Sharks, Green Turtles, Banded Sea Kraits, and trevallies.

• Monday, January 19: Moalboal & Pescador Island

  Wake up offshore from the former fishing village of Moalboal, on Cebu’s southwest coast. What makes this diving spot special is the massive sardine baitball that assembles daily, just off Moalboal’s Panagsama beach. Dive among the swirling masses of fish, as they undulate all around you. Then, head 20 minutes out, watching for dolphins as you go, to uninhabited Pescador Island, widely considered one of the best dive sites in the Philippines. The tiny island boasts up to 150-foot visibility, along with the famous Cathedral dive site, with its other-worldly swim-through cave. Find a staggering array of coral, clouds of Pyramid Butterflyfish, Lionfish, Dogtooth Tuna, and sleeping Whitetip Reef Sharks.

• Tuesday, January 20: Gato Island & Kimud Shoal

  Malapascua, a tiny island located just north of Cebu, is renowned as the only site on Earth where Thresher Sharks may be reliably encountered, year-round. Start at dawn atop the submarine plateau of Kimud Shoal, where these surreal-looking whip-tailed predators visit daily to be cleaned. While waiting for the sharks to emerge from the deep, watch for Reef Octopus and Reef Cuttlefish below and enjoy the mixed masses of fusiliers feeding overhead. After breakfast, enjoy another dive on Kimud’s soft coral-encrusted slopes, before moving to Gato Island, famous for its tunnel dive, where Whitetip and Blacktip reef sharks can often be found sleeping or circling above. The purple and pink soft coral gardens here are home to Painted Frogfish and an array of nudibranches, while gorgonian seafans host the diminutive Bargabanti Pygmy Seahorse.

• Wednesday, January 21: Boracay or Malapascua

  If you didn’t strike Thresher gold, you may choose to stay in the area and try again today at Monad Shoal, closer to the shore. Until recently, Monad had the only reliable year-round cleaning station, where Bluestreak Cleaner and Lunar Wrasses wait to clean the skin, gills, and mouth of Thresher Sharks. Manta and Eagle Rays also occasionally visit for cleaning. Enjoy lunch on paradisiacal Kalanggaman, a tiny, uninhabited islet with a pristine sandbar. Otherwise, head west to Boracay in Aklan, known for its white-powder beaches and great macro diving. On rare occasions, even Mola Molas, or Ocean Sunfish, are encountered here.

• Thursday, January 22: Romblon

  Romblon is found at the tip of Verde Island Passage, considered by some as the “heart of the center of biodiversity” in the Coral Triangle. Romblon’s waters are incredibly rich in marine life, particularly rare macro and super macro critters. Dive among hard and soft coral formations, through caves, along gorgonian-dotted cliffs, and over rich muck sites. See Tiger, Marble, Skeleton, Hairy, and Algae shrimps; Mandarinfish; white Ornate Ghost Pipefish; Spindle Cowrie; moray and snake eels; and a variety of nudibranchs.

• Friday, January 23: Anilao or Ticao

  Visit the world-famous critter mecca of Anilao, situated on Luzon, south of Manila. Anilao is known for its muck and so-called blackwater diving. A magnificent diversity of crustaceans, and nudibranchs teem in its nutrient-rich waters; frogfishes and seahorses abound, and Mimic and Blue-ringed Octopus, and even Wunderpus, are all possible. Or we may choose to head to Ticao Island, south of Luzon, known for its “Manta Bowl Shoal,” an offshore seamount with several sites for Reef Manta Rays. Whale Sharks are also occasionally present here.

• Saturday, January 24: Puerto Galera

  Today, disembark the Azores in Puerto Galera, a designated UNESCO ‘Man and Biosphere Reserve,’ and one of the Philippines’ most popular diving destinations, located on the island of Mindoro. Cafés and hotels line the busy seafront, backed by picturesque, forested hills. Dinner and overnight at Atlantis Puerto Galera.

• Sunday & Monday, January 25 & 26: Puerto Galera

  Spend two days exploring some of the 40+ dive spots located within a few minutes of the hotel. Several inner bays offer shallow coral gardens and sandy patches, while the outer walls boast incredibly vivid corals, with canyons, swim-throughs, rock formations, and a couple of small wrecks. The reef is full of Lionfish, triggerfish, snappers, barracudas, trevallies, moray eels, and more, while the sandflats in the inner bays host an astonishing variety of sand divers and garden eels. Dinners and overnights at Atlantis Puerto Galera.

• Tuesday, January 27: Puerto Galera / Manila / Homeward

  This morning, transfer to the airport via water taxi to Batangas on Luzon, then drive northwards to Manila, to connect to your international flights home this evening.