Palawan is blessed with a rich marine biodiversity which is why it has some of the best diving spots in the world.
Photo credit: https://www.discoveryfleet.com
Coron, situated in the northern part of the island, has some of the best diving sites in Palawan. In fact, it has the best shipwreck diving spots in Southeast Asia. If you are a history buff, you will be fascinated in exploring some of these Japanese ship wrecks that resulted from American air strikes during World War II. For any diver, it would be an awesome experience to see massive wartime vessels which has their own characteristics and mysterious charm. Some of the best Coron wreck dives you can explore are Akutsushima, Okikawa Maru, Irako Maru and Kyokuzan Maru.
Photo credit: https://www.discoveryfleet.com
Aside from the ship wrecks, you may also want to take a dip at the Barracuda Lake. It is a lake in a volcanic crater which has both fresh and salt water. There is also a deep cave that can be accessible to more experienced cave divers. The lake’s name came from a large barracuda skeleton found in its waters a long time ago. Although there are still barracudas that inhabit these waters until now, there have been no records of barracudas harming people. Hence, no need to be afraid.
Apo Reef Diving
Another dive spot to explore is the Apo Reef Natural Park. It is the second biggest contiguous coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. You will be in awe to see lush coral fields, vertiginous walls and a shipwreck overgrown with soft coral once you dive in. But aside from the underwater scenic spot in this area, what makes this dive destination famous are the other creatures you will encounter such as sharks, mantas, bumphead parrotfish, barracudas and other colorful fishes. If you’re a non-diver, you can snorkel the shallow areas and enjoy the scenery from the climbable light house.
Tubbataha Reef Diving
You wouldn’t want to miss diving in Tubbataha Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. However, areas like Tubbataha Reef are only accessible via a liveaboard diving vessel. The season for diving here is also limited to just three months – from March to June – as the rest of the year brings unpredictable weather conditions. Moreover, liveaboard trips in Tubbataha generally run for 5 days and 4 nights and accommodation is always on the boat. Though is quite far from the center of the province, it is definitely worth the trip to have the best diving in Palawan experience of your life. This Natural Marine Park is known as the world’s center of marine biodiversity. Tubbataha boasts over 600 fish species, 360 coral types, 11 shark species, about a dozen of dolphin and whale species, and 100 bird species.
House Reef
Finally, Dimakya Island in Coron, the home of Club Paradise Palawan, offers a captivating house reef with several reef system filled with both soft and hard corals. During the colder months, cephalopods come here to mate and lay eggs. You will find here an array of reef fishes such as damsel, parrot, flying gurnards, frogfishes as well as several species of nudibranchs.
Discover an exciting Coron diving adventure.
