The Visayas region is home to some of the best diving in the Philippines, with its nutrient rich water supporting a variety of eco-systems & a wide diversity of marine life. Sites range from steep coral covered walls to gentle sloping reefs and muck diving hotspots. During the tour we visit and dive the islands of Cebu, Cabilao, Panglao, Balicasag and Pescador. Along with Apo Island marine sanctuary and critter hot spot Dauin.
Departs / Returns: Cebu - Moalboal (alternating) on 6 night cruises
Please click on the map pins for more detailed info
*Trip itinerary can be subject to changes in the event of adverse weather conditions or unforeseen circumstances
**IMPORTANT : please be advised that the authorities in the Philippines who operate the permits on Balicasag Island, which forms a small part of our Southern Visayas itinerary, require dive certificates/license of ALL divers booked on this cruise at least 14 days prior to trip. Please do ensure that copies of these are sent to us so that our team can apply for the required permit to dive in that area.
Here is a selection of some of our most popular dive sites that we like to visit during our trips to the Visayas.
Between 25-30m (80-100ft), car parts as an artificial reef are attracting porcelain crabs and different kinds of shrimps amongst the many weird and wonderful creatures found at this site. A true macro critter playground.
Sloping walls full of huge elephant ear sponges and gorgonian fans. This is a great place to dive with large green turtles. Giant frogfish can be spotted resting on sponges and numerous cowries hiding amidst the stunning hard coral garden. Often we can see schools of surgeon fish and big-mouth mackerel. Drift along the wall and as you ascend towards the shallows a sandy plateau dotted with gorgonian fans is the place the stop and look for pygmy seahorses. The dive ends at a stunning hard coral garden where pipefish, cowries, cuttlefish, commensal shrimps, nudibranchs, squat lobsters and orangutan crabs are amongst a few of the commonly seen critters. Occasionally some stronger currents can be experienced!
Typically with stronger currents than most dives during the trip, Diver’s Heaven is a character site of Balicasag with a steep reef wall, many overhangs with soft corals, sponges & sea fans. The main attraction of this beautiful dive site is the green sea and hawksbill turtles in the shallow waters. The reeftop edge is a nice habitat for schools of colorful damsels and anthias and when lucky also for giant frogfish.
A fantastic spot where we often make night dives. A gently sloping reef and sandy bottom to 20m – soft corals and sea pens can be found dotted over the sand; also a great site for sightings of bottom dwellers. The grassy top is a favourite crab hide out.
Once famed for its black coral, here is where we encounter schools of jacks, long-jawed mackerels, red tooth triggerfish and different kinds of fusiliers.
Schools of razorfish, crocodile needle fish, purple and threadfin anthias are to be found while reef squids and spade fish are making their way home. Green sea turtles and hawksbill turtle are also commonly seen here.
Just 30 minutes away from Moalboal this island is a perfect place to explore the dramatic steep walls and the colorful and lively reeftop. Zillions of damsels, anthias and chromis are darting around while schools of fusiliers, red tooth triggerfish, surgeonfish, long jawed mackerel, juvenile convict fish and big eyed trevallies are filling the blue. Pescador Island is also home for a couple of giant frogfish. The big cave on the northwest side of the island is a nice gimmick to the dives.
Along with the millions of sardines, performing an underwater ballet, giant frogfish might be found together with reeftop pipefish and ringed pipefish..
Another critter wonderland! When it is the right season, this is the place to find all your favourites. Painted frogfish, varieties of ghost pipefish, cockatoo waspfish are just a few of species you may encounter.
An often fast paced drift brings divers over the sloping coral reef wall. Along the way giant trevally, blackfin barracuda, big school of big-eyed trevally and plenty of sea snakes can be encountered.
Just beyond the chapel opposite the marine park warden’s office, Rocky Point West offers some of the most stunning hard corals to be found in the region with endless patches of leather corals on the top. The steep reef walls support numerous colourful reef species – pyramid butterfly fish and red-toothed trigger fish are here in their hundreds, frogfish, cuttlefish, banded sea snakes and hawksbill turtles are amongst the common sightings.
The following sites will also be visited during our Malapascua extension
Is one of the few dive spots in the World where the shy pelagic thresher sharks may be seen on a daily basis. Divers rest at approximately 25m (90ft) on the sandy bottom to watch the sharks approach and be cleaned. Other visitors to the shoal include manta, devil and eagle rays. Diving with Nitrox is recommended to enjoy extended bottom time.
This little island has the typical topography around Malapascua area. The shallow tops full of soft corals and algae are home for different kinds of nudibranchs. The shallow bottom of maximum 16 m (50ft) around this island is the perfect spot for odd shaped bottom dwellers like bearded scorpionfish, devil scorpionfish and dwarf cuttlefish but also many different kinds of sea stars, sea urchins with their urchin clingfish inside, black velutinid and ringed pipefish can be found.
As the name suggests this dive site provides an almost guaranteed sighting of white tip reef sharks that enjoy their rest on the sand tucked under rocks and coral bommies. Other species found here include scorpion fish and seahorses. Pygmy seahorses may also be found too as well as whip coral shrimps which cling to the colourful whip corals adorning the overhangs of the island.