Wreck Diving in the Philippines
The Philippines, an archipelago consisting of 7,107 islands, is famous for many world-class beaches and wreck diving sites. Most of them have areas where divers can view wrecked ships from World War II, along with some other commercial and private ships, boats and aircrafts. There are many Philippine diving groups and resorts that offer travel, accommodation and diving packages, classes with licensed instructors and equipment rentals for both novice and professional divers.
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Philippine Diving Season
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The best time to enjoy the beaches and go diving in the Philippines is during the summer months from March to May. The rainy season is from June to October, while the coldest months are from December to February. The hottest months are typically 80 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit while the colder months in this tropical country have temperatures only between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Considerably, the temperature is almost the same for the entire year. There is nearly no rain from April to May, and most pristine beaches are packed by both local and international tourists during this time.
Commercial Ship Wrecks
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The Fortune Island in Nasugbu, Batangas, has interesting dive spots. The site called "The Wreck" is located opposite the beach, from 65 feet below. Here, divers can explore the stern and keel of a steel Dutch freighter surrounded by schools of clownfish. In Cebu, wreck diving in Malapascua features the almost 328-foot-long Dona Marilyn, a Cebu-Manila passenger ferry that sank in a typhoon more than 20 years ago. It is now lying on its starboard side at 60 to 110 feet below. The MV Asia wreck, 85 feet below, has open decks with one prop still on the boat. Another classic shipwreck is the MV San Juan, a large ferry that sank in relatively undamaged condition during bad weather in Cebu a couple of years ago. It is now surrounded by colorful and abundant marine life.
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Small and Private Wreck Sites
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Smaller wrecks are also popular dive sites in the Philippines. In Nasugbu, Batangas' Fortune Island, there is a nearby Volkswagen mini-bus inhabited by a large school of lionfish. The Sangat Gun Boat Wreck is a small gun boat or submarine hunter lying from 10 to 60 feet deep in Coron Bay, Palawan. This site, filled with interesting crabs and shrimps, is an ideal spot for a night dive. Another Coron site is the Lusong Gun Boat wreck which is easily viewable from its maximum depth of only 33 feet. It is also a popular area for snorkeling. This wreck has many sponges and corals around it while huge cuttlefish and moray eels swim around.
Plane Wrecks
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Wreck diving in Malapascua, Cebu, features the Lighthouse Wreck of a Japanese World War II landing craft. Easily seen from 16 to 49 feet and broken up into two pieces, this shallow wreck with a large shipment of cement was bombed decades ago just before landing. Rocks around the lighthouse area are actually bags of cement from the war plane. Marine life around the wreck includes the yellow-tailed barracuda, hermit crabs, octopus, pipefish, juvenile harlequin sweetlips, banded sea snakes and seahorses. Another aircraft wreck lying on a colorful coral reef can be seen near the Malcatop Island in Coron Bay, Palawan. This unnamed aircraft site starts at 6.6 feet to a maximum depth of 60 feet from the water surface. The shallow Tambuli Airplane Wreck near Marigondon Beach, Cebu, showcases a small airplane resting in a depth of about 72 feet.
War Ship Wrecks
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Most war ship wrecks that divers explore in the Philippines are Japanese fleets from World War II. One of the most famous wreck diving sites is Coron Bay, Palawan. More than a dozen war ship wrecks found all over the bay feature varying corals, fishes, jellyfish, eels, squids, flat worms, barracudas, shrimps, sea urchins and other aquatic creatures. The popular Okikawa Maru wreck (formerly Taiei Maru) is a 524-foot Japanese civilian tanker/oiler that left the Manila harbor in 1944 and was hit by bombs during an attack in Coron. Close to Okikawa Maru is the Akitsushima wreck, a Japanese Navy seaplane tender buried 85 feet below. The wreck of Tapilon, a World War II Japanese cargo carrier from 82 feet deep, was hit by torpedoes. In Nasugbu, Batangas, the Hamilo Cove Wreck is visible from a depth of between 25 to 40 feet and features a Japanese freighter that sank during the liberation of the Philippines by U.S. forces in 1945.
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References
- Photo Credit Taste of Philippines image by Michael May from Fotolia.com
