The Philippines consists of more than 7000 islands and is one of the top countries worldwide for snorkeling and diving.
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Gold/ClickThe Philippines are with its more than 7000 islands and atolls, all situated in the warm waters around the equator, a haven for coral and marine life. It is part of the coral triangle, which oceanic upwelling provides some of the richest waters in the world. Marine life, large and small, breeds well on it. The Philippines is often separated in three regions; Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. There are many other sights and activities in the Philippines besides diving in its crystal clear warm waters with its wide diversity in underwater geology and topology.
The Philippines is one of the most rugged rainforest countries in the world, with many volcanoes, cloud topping mountains, clear fresh lakes, underwater caves, fast flowing rivers and many waterfalls. Mount Apo, Mayon Volcano, Taal Lake and the Chocolate Hills are some of the Philippine's most stunning geological beauties. Activities such as rafting, spelunking, kayaking, sailing and hiking are some of the ways to enjoy this paradise. Naturalists and biologist will enjoy its rich wildlife such as monkeys and many types of birds. The Philippines have been occupied by the Spanish during its colonization and by the Japanese during World War II. Many shrines, museums, battles, hills, war cemeteries and other historic evidence remembers of this once so horrible period.
Luzon is the largest most northern region separated by the Luzon Strait from Taiwan. It is where the nation's capital Manila and metropolis Quezon City are located. Subic Bay has been one of the first locations for tourist, important for divers as heavy battles between the Americans and Japanese during WWII have littered the ocean floor with a lot of interesting airplane wrecks and shipwrecks. La Union and Anilao (Batangas Peninsula) provide a rich underwater marine world. Donsol has been a favorite amongst divers and snorkelers as it is one of the few places where you can swim with whale shark as they feed in waters rich in plankton. Palawan with Coron Bay, El Nido and Puerto Princesa offer some of the most beautiful bays with white sanded islands that make you remember it as a tropical paradise, sipping cocktails and relaxing in one of its many bars or inside a hammock. The island Mindoro is known for Pandan Island, Marinduque, Puerto Galera and its liveaboard tours to world renowned Apo Reef. Other well known regions for scuba diving are Borocay (Panay), Mactan, Moalboal (Cebu), Cabilao Island and Panglao Island (Bohol). The province Leyte is popular for tourist because of Sogod Bay. Mindanao offers the two excellent locations Camiguin Island and Davao. Unfortunately this area is often targeted by Muslim activists, which makes it a little unsafe. One of the best live-aboard destinations can be found far offshore at the atolls of Tubbataha Reef and the Spratly Islands. Wherever you go in the Philippines, nearby you can find an area popular for diving and snorkeling.
Take a look at all the pictures!
The best dive sites and top diving locations in Philippines rated by divers since last year.
- Amos RockRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Dona Marilyn WreckRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Hunter's RockRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Mapating RockRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Pescador IslandRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Sinandigan Wall, Turtle RockRated 10.0, 1 ratings
- Oryoku MaruRated 8.0, 1 ratings
- USS New YorkRated 8.0, 1 ratings
Editor: Lars Hemel Have fun breathing underwater!
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