Shore Diving in the Philippines

If you’re dreaming of lying on white-sand beaches with coconut palms behind you and critter-rich dive sites a few steps in front of you, then the Philippines should be on your radar already. With more than 7,000 islands making up this archipelagic nation, the Philippines has its fair share of pristine beaches, and it should come as no surprise that the shore diving in the Philippines is among the best in the world.

Located within the Coral Triangle and on the western edge of the Pacific's Ring of Fire, the Philippines is one of only 17 nations classified as a megadiverse country. The incredible biodiversity is immediately apparent the moment you deflate your BCD at the start of your first dive and will continue to amaze you throughout your stay. With flamboyant cuttlefish, flashy frogfish and fragile lacy scorpionfish all inhabiting the shallows yards from the beach, the shore diving in the Philippines is a macro photographer's dream.

But don't worry, we've already dispatched our team of dive experts to discover the best spots for shore diving within the Philippines. As you enjoy a morning shore dive in Dauin, expect to meet a frogfish strolling along the volcanic sand. Puerto Galera's pygmy seahorses grip the gorgonians and flamboyant cuttlefish flash their colours in the shallow seagrass. And in Moalboal, a rendezvous with the resident mandarinfish on the house reef at dusk is the perfect way to end the day's diving.

Dauin

The beach town of Dauin sits at the southern tip of the Visayas, and its volcanic shores are a magnet for muck divers and macro photographers. Scouring the sand on the resort's house reef reveals a dazzling array of frogfish, spearing mantis shrimp guarding their lairs and ornate ghost pipefish hiding among the feather stars.

Moalboal

A pleasant drive through verdant countryside will bring you from Cebu airport to Moalboal, on the west coast of Cebu Island. Famed for its sardine baitballs and thresher shark sightings, shore dives on the house reef reveal the smaller critters. Hairy squat lobsters, robust ghostpipefish, orangutan crabs and mandarinfish await. And if the mandarinfish are not psychedelic enough, a fluorescent night dive will show them in a whole new light.

Puerto Galera

Within easy reach of Manila, Puerto Galera is one of the Philippines' best-known dive destinations. Situated on a small headland jutting into the Batangas Channel, the nutrient-rich waters ensure a wide array of delightful critters inhabit the shallow reefs close to the shore. Sabang Beach and Aninuan Beach are perfect for a relaxing saunter in the shallows on the hunt for flamboyant cuttlefish, frogfish and a plethora of shrimp and nudibranchs.