Coron Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
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Top 20 Scuba & Snorkeling Diving Spots In Coron
Coron Bay is a large, sheltered body of water that has become the wreck-diving capital of the Philippines. Diving is possible in Coron sheltered waters, but visibility isn’t perfect. You can dive in Coron all year round. You can experience some bad weather during the wet season (June to September / October) that can sometimes prevent any diving from happening. The best time is from December to March and it is also at that time that the visibility is at its best.
30 mins by boat to the north–west of Okikawa maru this dive-site is one of the best reefs in the region and offers you a beautiful, healthy environment with an excellent diversity of corals and fishes.Great visibility so perfect for photography
One of the most popular wrecks in Coron Bay for its beautiful fish life and easy access, lying on her starboard side at a depth of about 25 meters.The passenger-cargo vessel, built in 1907, was later commandeered by the British for WWI when she was captured by the Japanese and utilized by them in WWII. The wreck holds a large engine room and steel boilers that are still intact, making it a great dive for experienced and newly certified PADI wreck divers. Certification level: Open Water certification and up
Close to the east-shore of Tangat–Island, you can dive a small, 35m long Japanese anti-submarine-chaser and Tug-boat in shallow water of min. 3m down to max 19m. Plenty of tropical fish from big puffer fish,red lion fish and scorpion fish,batfish, snappers, six-banded angelfish and numerous sponges. Certification level: Open Water certification or higher
The Okikawa is a Japanese oil tanker with a displacement of 168 m long. The Okikawa in length, width, and volume is the largest of the Coron wrecks. At this depth you may be able to make an hour-long dive. The Okikawa Maru is voted to be one of the best wreck dives in the area.The wreck is covered with beautiful corals and a large diversity of marine-life. Explore the ship’s brig (or jail cell), first deck level galley ways and long corridors Take a look at the incredibly huge rudder and epic propeller shaft swim-through The deck is between 10m and 17m and is good starting place for wreck dive beginners. Certification level: Open Water and up
Relatively shallow, this dive is great for wreck-diving beginners, photographers and night divers and has plenty of fish. There are many scorpion fish and lionfish on the superstructure.Schools of batfish, snappers, fusiliers, groupers, trumpetfish and angelfish consider the ship their home. The hull has lots of sponges and hydroids. The visibility is usually better than inside Coron Bay.
Barracuda Lake is one of Coron Island’s fantastic natural phenomenons The combination of a deep underground hot spring surrounded by small passageways to the sea have caused an incredible crystal clear lake caged in by towering limestone cliffs above and below the surface. Due to this mixing of hot fresh water and saltwater from the sea,a strange blurriness in the water (similar to seeing a heatwave up close) occurs. Certification level: Open Water certification and up; although Advanced Open Water certification is recommended for a better experience.
Starting at a depth of around 6-10m is a narrow, yet comfortably sized tunnel leading from the sheer rock face inwards down to about 12m. The tunnel has lots of lobsters and other crustaceans and mollusks living inside it. Soon you see light coming in from the opening higher up rock face, above sea level. You can surface here inside the cathedral and see the beautiful stalactites and the window through which the light streams in. A little further in is another passage leading to an air chamber one can surface in to see the beautiful rock formations within. Not to be missed
The Akitsushima was a seaplane carrier with a displacement of 4724 tons, a length of 118 meters and was 15.7 meters wide. The ship was also armed with 10 piece, 25 mm anti-aircraft guns, four piece five inch (50 cal) guns now laying on her port side. She was struck by a large bomb close to the stern the ship was almost torn into two pieces.There is a huge crane lying on the sandy bottom which attracts schools of batfish and barracuda. Be sure to take a look at the incredible tri-barreled AAA anti-aircraft gun sitting just in front of the humongous crane. After that, you can enter the hanger, and as you move toward the stern of the ship, you will be confronted by the massive winches which were used to life the planes. Opposite the winches is the crown jewel of Akitsushima – four big engines that are still intact and unsalvaged. Certification level: Minimum Advanced Open Water certification; great for technical and wreck certified divers
Kogyo Maruan was ammunition"s vessel which now lies on its starboard side in 34m of water, with a minimum depth of 16m. It is also home to some of the most abundant schools of fish. In the second cargo hold from the bow, you can find the remains of an old bulldozer with its tire treads still intact. You can also swim through the engine room, which is easily accessible and illuminated by a large hole on the port side of the vessel. Certification level: While Open Water divers can view the top deck and marine life, it is better enjoyed if you have an Advanced Open Water diver certification.
Irako is the second largest vessel in the bay, measuring 145m long. It is home to some of the most incredible artifacts in the Coron Bay area, as well as abundant schools of juvenile barracudas,jack fish,eels.turtles, lion and scorpion fish. The bow gun mount is the most intact mount in the whole bay (only missing the shield and turrets!), and is usually riddled with glass and spade fish. If you go inside the bow forecastle, you can find the remains of porcelain toilets, a large wheel which is suspected of being related to the anchor winch, a radiator, and multiple circuit breaker boxes Certification level: Advanced Open Water certification, with experience. Wreck certification should be provided for anything past mild-swim through's
The Olympia Maru is another large cargo ship, measuring 130m long, The gun mount at the bow of the ship is home to an immense school of yellow tail snappers and scorpion fish. The bow forecastle offers some nice spools of rope which often hide moral eels or pipefish. You can also swim through the massive rudder, Certification level: Advanced Open Water certification is required as the minimum depth is at roughly 20m.
As the oldest ship in the bay, the Ekkai Maru has had a long and interesting history. Built in 1904 in Greenock (UK), Be sure to check out the top deck of the ship which is littered with massive scroll corals and tropical fish, including schools of damsels, small groups of jacks darting around, clown fish, lion fish, crocodile fish, and even blue spotted rays. You can also pass through the accommodation areas and get a sense of the side of the rooms, which have small pieces of glass and ceramics on the ground. Certification level: Open Water certification and up
The Kyokuzan Maru was a Japanese freighter approximately 160-180 meters long. This wreck is a beautiful dive. Mainly intact, this sunken ship usually offers great visibility of about 20 meters and ideal diving conditions. Japanese staff cars and trucks can still be found in the cargo rooms. The Kyokuzan is situated on the opposite side of Busuanga to Coron town so to reach it requires about an hour along bumpy roads in a truck followed by a 20 minute boat journey. Because of this it is likely you'll do both of your dives for the day here. This has the potential to be a lovely wreck although the low visibility does prevent this from being a top class dive. There's a lot of life on this wreck,tiny fish and continuing down the mast and onto the deck which is encrusted with coral.The bridge area and large overturned funnel make for some easy penetration. Depth: 24 - 40 meters (79 - 141 feet) Visibility: 10 - 15 meters (30 - 50 feet)
Located off the coast of Barangay Concepcion in Western Busuanga, this island is home to some of the largest coral congregations in Coron Bay. An easy going drift dive can bring you from the north side of the island to the south, all of which are home to beautiful marine life You may get lucky and see Napoleon wrasse that sometimes show up in small schools.
You will find large hard corals towards the shallower depths.
Sometimes, turtles float by, with the occasional ray as well. You can also find nudibranchs and lion fish of all kinds
Certification level:
Open Water certification and up
The Skeleton Wreck is a tiny little wreck that can either be done as a dive or snorkeled on. This wreck is the keel, ribs and stringers of a steel-hulled boat about 25 meters long.
” It’s on most of the island hopping and snorkeling tours so expect crowds. its located on the Northwest corner of Coron Island
This wreck was beached with the bow 12 meters from Coron Island. The stern points away from the island. The wreck’s 5 meters deep at the bow to 22 meters at the stern. A pass through on the starboard side of the hull at 14 meters allows you to swim from the inside of the boat out over the coral reef.
The top of the wreck is in about 6m of water and it sits on a pretty reef. The wreck’s name comes from the fact the ribs of the wreck are almost all that are left, giving it a skeletal appearance.
Depth: 6 – 25 metres (20 – 80 feet)
Visibility: 10 metres (30 feet)
Lusong Gunboat was a converted fishing trawler that was used as an auxiliary submarine chase.
At 12m of water and actually breaching the surface slightly during low tides, it offers a miraculous infrastructure for coral growth and marine habitation.
The area just adjacent to this on the west side of Lusong Island – aptly named ‘Coral Gardens‘ – is an incredible reef wall maxing out at around 16m and is just riddled with incredible stag horn corals, Gregorian fans, nudibranchs, juvenile barracuda, turtles, and more.
Certification level:
The Lusong Gunboat requires a basic PADI Discover Scuba Diving certification level or higher, since it is very shallow. However, the Coral Gardens are recommended for Open Water
certified divers or higher as there is nowhere for DSDs to sit without breaking corals.
Why Coron
Divers often remark on the breath taking experiences that they have been lucky to see, with such a diverse marine life and World War II ship wrecks to discover, it truly is a paradise. So before you plan your next beach vacation, remember that Palawan was Voted Best Island in the World again in 2020 for the fourth year in a row.
- Experience: Many world class wreck dive sites
- Reputation: Voted one of the best dive destinations in the world
- Guide Experience: Many certified guides available.
What You Get
Thousands of Nautical miles of open water to explore, herald Palawan as a water sports mecca.
- Sailing, surfing, diving, fishing – If you can think of it, then you are in the right place, a true paradise awaits you. Indulging your passion for the water is easy to do here in Palawan and limited only by your imagination.
- Transportation: Public, Private,Self Driven
- Great Facilities: Hostels, Pensions, Hotels, Resorts
