Anyone who has attempted Scuba diving in the Philippines himself knows that, in this country, the nature of the coral and the number of species are not any better than in paradise. It’s very cool. The Philippines has everything from world-class sites with unique and endangered animals to sites with healthier and more colorful reefs than other nations. But when is the best time to dive in the Philippines?
Best Time To Dive In The Philippines
The traditional dive season is from October to May, but diving is possible in most destinations during the year. The three months of the Philippine summer-March to May-are the best months to offer the traditional, tropical, blue sky, calm seas, dry, hot, and good visibility. It is only part of the story, however. It’s all about the winds, from which direction and where you are.
Habagat, the southwest monsoon, traditionally runs from May to October, the humidity-laden wind blows from the Pacific Ocean and sweeps up to Luzon in the north along the west side of the world. At that time, weather systems can be extremely powerful and turn to typhoons and even super typhoons from low stress to tropical depressions.
The Amihan, the Northeast range, from November to early May, will bring dry weather for the majority of the country except for the eastern side of the region, which takes a little more time to clear.
Best Time To Dive In The Philippines: According To Places
From February to May, the dry season in the country is the perfect time to swim. The Philippines’ climate is hot and tropical throughout the year. Average temperatures reach 30C, and moisture is high on the land. Most people who visit the Philippines for a scuba diving vacation do so between November and May. However, December and January are not uncommon to see quite a bit of rain.
Scuba diving in the Philippines can be done all year round, and the novice and experienced divers will enjoy various scuba diving experiences. You can go to Negros and Panglao for muck diving, or take a shark dive at Apo Reef.
Do you prefer to dive wreck? Explore the shipwrecks of Japanese warships in Coron’s shallow water. Diving in the Philippines is one of the world’s top 10 diving destinations. And what do you expect?
Many (dive) resorts offer day tours or more (ten days) to the atolls and islands of this tropical paradise. You can also be less formal and employ your own Banca to take you to the places where you want to dive. The water is 27 degrees constant, and scuba divers do not need to wear wetsuits, but if you’re going to cover themselves from stings and coral scraps.
Manila & Anilao
Places in the North as Manila and Anilao begin to rain in June and October, sometimes at the end of the rain for weeks, and sometimes more like sunshine. From November to May, even June can be lovely, sunny and not much wind, and in April and May, it can get scorching.
Port of Galera
It can be rainy from June to October, but since it is protected from the southwest winds of Mindoro Island, it does not get as much wind or rain from the island as Manila.
Other than when a massive weather system passes, it is possible to dive irrespective of it. From November to June, typical tropical paradise weather is likely.
Coron
Coron forms the country’s western border. During the peak of Habagat, strong winds hit the archipelago, but not necessarily the rain. Some resorts close in July and August because it may be a bit rough to get to the wrecks. It can be breathtaking from November to June, that is the best time to dive in the Philippines.
Apo Reef
The area between Coron and Mindoro is very exposed and follows the same weather as Coron. The liveaboards will only be offered here from October to June. Dive Centers in Coron give day trips from June to September very carefully to prevent bad weather.
Tubbataha
Being in the heart of the Sulu Sea, it is a long way from Tubbataha, and therefore safe, dive operators / Liveaboards can only offer trips from mid-March to early June.
Central Visayas area – Malapascua, Panglao, Cabilao, Dumaguete. Central Visayas area.
During the Habagat monsoon, this region would get less wind and rain than other areas, mainly because it is covered on different islands on all sides.
Diving is possible at any location all year round, and due to weather, very few diving days per year are missed. Even in the rainy season, the sky is clear, blue in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon, and then clear for an hour for the perfect sunset.
Some south-western destinations, such as Panglao, will be more effective than others by the Habagat, with waves around dive sites.
Best Time To Dive In The Philippines: Where To Dive
The best dive areas of the country are somewhat difficult to classify because they each have specific interests. Let’s first talk about Luzon. You’ll find Mindoro Island there. This destination is easily accessible from Manila, and it has everything from a postcard: white sand, mountains, and traditional towns.
To the north of the island, Puerto Galera offers a wide range of drop-offs and drift dives. The tiny island of Pandan Island, west of Luzon, is the starting point for a plunge into Apo Reef, a marvel of biodiversity. You will discover Palawan, considered to be the jewel of the archipelago if you want to travel west of the Philippines.
This diminished island has exceptional biodiversity. Scuba diving is fantastic, of course. The Tubbataha Reef is east of Palawan, definitely one of the world’s most beautiful coral reefs. Further north of Palawan, you can explore Busuanga Island and Coron Island.
Then there are the Visayas, a group of islands you simply must visit. Its biodiversity is one of the world’s most beautiful. In the east, Bohol Island, near Cebu, offers several opportunities for cycling. Coron and APO Reef are the main dive sites. The south of Malapascua and Apo Island are two beautiful islands with excellent locations for dives.
Here are just a few of the top destinations as divers are attracted to various aspects of diving.
Natural Park of Tubbataha Reefs
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in the Sulu Sea, off the coast of Palawan, comprises a 97,030-hectare marine protection area (MPA). The closest city in Puerto Princesa is about 150 km or 10 to 14 hours by boat. From the deep Sulu Sea, the two big atolls create a rich reef area that continually feeds on the deep, nutrient-rich waters.
The conditions establish one of the world’s most diverse marine ecosystems with broad pelagic and small macro topics. Visibility is outstanding. Due to the extreme nature of conditions here in the Sulu Sea, seasonal plunging starts in March and takes place in June. A liveaboard destination, approximately 15 liveaboards, some of which are foreign ships, represent the park throughout the dive season.
Port of Galera
PG, as often mentioned, is the oldest internationally recognized Philippine diving destination. It is always great to know the best time to dive in the Philippines. It has a natural port with beaches of white sand. The name refers to the Spanish Galleons, ships here are looking for protection waiting for the right weather before continuing their voyages. Regardless of the environment, part of the region will be covered. A number of its dive sites are often on the world’s top ten.
While it is often wrongly considered by divers to be part of Luzon, it is actually in Oriental Mindoro. The Verde Island Passage divides Luzon and Mindoro. The passageway is just one of the tourist attractions. It offers a great wall and drifts dives in an environment rich in marine life that scientists continue to discover. There are diving places for all divers, with plenty of diving opportunities for inexperienced divers. Puerto Galera also has excellent technical support for deep diving. It offers diving all year round and is often not affected by typhoons.
Cebu
Cebu province has many excellent dive destinations, which have made it a perfect destination for many divers. The area of Cebu consists of Cebu Island and 167 smaller islands. Mactan Island is known for its great walls and drifts dives, which is home to Cebu airport and has a number of resorts. Malapascua Island is renowned for its thresher-shark dives, manta-rays, macro-photos, neighboring Gato Island, well-known for its sharks and tunnels, and a few excellent wrecks, situated at the northern end of the Cebu.
Moalboal, on the west coast of Cebu Island, has developed a tourism industry based on leisure and beaches. The line of Tañon divides Cebu from the island of Negros. It is a marine protected area of 100 km known as a passageway for large pelagic animals, including whale sharks and other animals of sharks and rays. It is a refuge for marine mammals, sharks, and rays as well.
Bohol
Both Cebu and Bohol provinces were areas decided by DOT to be suitable for plunging. Bohol quickly has a reputation for excellent swimming and dive centers. Located a short distance from Cebu, it offers a number of ways of diving.
Batangas, Anilao
This diving destination is often listed as one of the best diving destinations. Only 2 hours by road from Manila, it is the destination of divers from Manila. It has excellent drift and wall dives on the opposite side of the Verde Island Passage. Photographers also enjoy the region.
Coron and APO
These are actually two separate destinations, but Liveaboard operators often promote them together. Coron is best known for the Japanese ships sunk in the bay for the Second World War. There are also a few unique caves, Cathedral Cave and Barracuda Lake, for diving, and there is a potential for skilled cave divers. APO Reef is the world’s largest reef and offers excellent diving.
This is a new destination and is still not often used. Situated off the coast of Mindoro, there are limited dive centers in the area, and it takes time to reach them. Yet it is well known as a liveaboard destination. Liveaboards were mainly active in Tubbataha Reefs in the past, but an increasing number of them are active all year round, and APO reefs are a destination starting with Coron and PG.
Diving Conditions
Visibility ranged between 20 and 30 meters, depending on the diving site and the season. There were also many currents, from nearly none too vigorous. Difficulty: Philippine scuba diving is perfect for all. Beginners and super experienced divers can enjoy this. During the year, the water temperatures do not change much from 23 ° C and 30 ° C.
Scuba Cruise in the Philippines
Book a diving cruise to enjoy your dive in the Philippines. We invite you to visit the website of our partner liveaboard to discover a broad range of cruises. You will have the ability to observe different species, such as barracuda and reef sharks. Then on your voyage, see-through diving spots that are only accessible by boat. By booking liveaboard, you can book your next dive cruise in the Philippines. Thanks to our partner, you can visit the dormant island of Malapascua and the Visayas.
What will I see while snorkeling or diving?
The Philippines’ fauna and flora are incredibly wealthy. They might look endless. There’s still a lot to discover, indeed. Today, there are more than 2,000 fish species and over 800 coral species. Aside from the regular reef fish that can be found in Asia, you will have pleasure in meeting countless species, all of which are amazing.
You will see ribbon eel, leaf fish, frogfish, Pygmy sea horse, sublime Mandarin fish, scorpionfish, Angelfish, clownfish, tackle fish, and shrimp of every kind. If you love big fish, don’t worry, the Philipines will delight you: turtles, thresher shark, barracudas, dolphins, sharks, and majestic whale sharks. The flora is almost as beautiful as the fauna. Soft corals and hard corals cover the bottoms of the sea.
Conclusion
The Philippines offers many beautiful places to dive into its dry, calm waters. The Philippines is made up of 7,100 islands, many of which are reefs waiting to be first explored. Any vacation here can be as peaceful as you want. It will be the sea, sand, and palm trees with you. Or you can join many unexpected festivals that always seem to break out on the beaches. The Philippines’ climate is hot and tropical throughout the year and there is always the best time to dive in the Philippines!
