⌛ Where is the best diving in the Phils

To be honest...never dove outside the Visayas in PI...but done quite a lot in the area. My personal favourite is Cabilao. Nice, well preserved reefs with perhaps the widest variety of marine life I've seen so far in the Philippines. And the best bit is - it all is within a ten minute boat ride of Polaris resort. Too easy...Balicasag is the runner up...tends to get blown out in the afternoon and viz gets ordinary...but good diving and heaps to see. Don't waste time on other Panglao area dives...pretty droll...I'll let the Apo fans speak for themselves...and I'm sure they will..

Would love to have the time to do Palawan but so far no chance....

 

Haven't dived at Pamilican for years...was pretty good, nice deep dropoffs, but it's not off Alona beach. More like a good hour long boat ride. Balicasag is a bit closer...and better....

Yes, Cabilao is better than Moalboal....in my opinion...and many divers I've run into at Cabilao.

 

dont forget apo island and ducomi pier
worldwide wellknowed critterplaces

 

If you are looking for Fishes you will never find in the general waters of the Philippines then APPARI is the place. It is pretty far away , I admit , but you will find treasures beyond your expectations. Problem is the waves and the short season.. Right now it is pretty good.
It is the only place where you will find fishes like the Paracentropyge Venusta ( formerly belonging to the Genus Holacantus ) and Genicanthus watanabei but also the species G semifasciatus and bellus.
beside that many kinds of Ptereleotris like grammica grammica andTilefish like Hoplolatilus purpureus , H .fourmanaouri ( rediscovered by myself in 1979)
and the rare Hoplolatilus chlupatyi Beside that you will find the PINECONE FISH / PINEAPPLE FISH ( Cleidopus gloriaemaris ). It resembles the Monocentrus japonicus , which comes from cooler waters.

On the Pinecone Fish I could write a great deal , but it is less of interest for the general wiever...Although I had many of them for studies in my facilities both in the USA , Europe and here in Manila . I never took a picture as they dislike flashlight. The picture is therfore form the internet..
The divers that collected them all got them from a depth of over 30 meters and yet some claim to have it seen in only 2 meters depth. Perhaps Rhoody can give some input here as well ?

 

Dont Forget Tubatha and Jessie Beasley

DI`ers , Hello . Though I have`nt done them ...Tubatha is highest on my list .The season is short late March - mid - May . Live abord situation. Baliacsag is my favorite consistant dive , Apo Island is great . I also have a soft place in my heart for Verde Island and Anilao . Basura at Anilao is Micro photography heaven . Verde Island maybe be the best " least " recognized spot . Dauin Pier is an amazing dive . Ornate Cuttlefish ( ??? ) amazing !!! Kevin Lets go make bubbles .

 

beware that if you stay at Alona the resorts wont go out to Balikasag when the waves are bad - you might as well stay dry as pay over $40. for less than average dives off Alona beach
I personally like Apo the best - Moalboal, Balikasag and Calibao are all nice - depends on the conditions on any given day which is best
Siquijor has some nice sites- sumilan is great for fish but the coral was wiped out by dynamite fishing at 0 - 20 meters in 1992 and has only partially recovered - Ive seen a whaleshark twice at Liloan point - it is overfished but has good inverts and soft coral , lots of scattered coral heads and a vertical wall on one side
Verde is the only quality site near PG imo ... Anilao is still on my to do list
as is Apo reef (mindoro)
Malapascua has Gato Isl. nearby, which is pretty good , but a long boat ride and waves cancell the trip - the morning thresher dive is interesting when the sharks show up - otherwise a big waste of time and money

 

Cebudiver

Kamusta , Hello my diving friend. I love taking U/W photos and will spend many days exploring so many areas . I hope we cross paths and do some together . Be in Dumaguete in October 2007 .My name is Kevin . I agree with most of your list . One exception , Apo Reef . I went to Pandan Island , pretty cool ... A bus to Batangas , a ferry to Abra a local not so nice bus to Sablayan about 12 + hours . Pandan short small banka trip . Very basic place , rooms on top of each other , hear people snoring , farting and boom boom . Food was good and was a required communal affair . Price for rooms was good .Electricity 6 pm to 11 pm , generator . No fresh water showers . OK the good report ... the house reef and those surrounding island quite nice and good guides , bad report ... Apo Reef 2 dives around $ 150 USD !!! I kid you not !!! $ 30 each dive , like $ 60 per head boat ride ( about 2 hours ... 10 people on board ...$ 600 USD for 8 hour trip ??? That was just for gas and pay the captain and crew ... 3 people ) Some people paid that to go snorkelling there ( I kid you not !!! ) 1st dive a pretty nice wall , but almost no fish . 2nd dive amazing hard coral forrests as far as the eye could see , no fish , identical hard coral forrest ad infinium . NO FISH !!! I will say the water was as clear as I have ever seen in the RP`s. Maybe Tubatha equal or better , I don`t know . Got back to the resort , had made arrangements to transfer to bus ...return to Manila . Catch 8 pm bus to Abra , 1 am boat to Batangas , 8 am bus to Manila ...arrive 11 am . Long trip . When I got to the resort ...settle up on my bill and shocked to find 2 dives in the RP`s cost me as much as a trip to Catalina in spendy LA CA ??? Asked the manager if there was a mistake ??? NO , sir . $ 150 USD when dollar was 54 to 1 . .I had spent 2 months in RP`s and most other places Alona , Moalboal , Malapascua were $ 150 USD for a week . 10 dives , boat , gas and guide included . Most tourist at Pandan were Swiss or Germans and thought the prices were good . NOT IN THE RP`s !!! Well just my 2 centavos . Hope to meet and share some dives. Regards Kevin