We may receive a commission if you make purchases through affiliate links (at no extra cost to you). Read why our approach to travel is different.
Cebu has long been a Mecca for divers. It is part of the ‘Coral Triangle’ which hosts an incredible 76% of the world’s total coral species. To put this into perspective, the Caribbean only holds around 8%. Put simply, this is why diving in Cebu hits differently to diving in other places.
I’ve been diving in the waters around Cebu since 2012, and I have to say that it still amazes me just how stunning the underwater world is. Crystal clear waters allow you superb visibility of the underwater marine life, reefs, and wrecks (though not so much in Coron, Palawan).
If you are planning to go diving in Cebu then here are the top dive sites that you have to visit.
Skip to...
1. Malapascua Island
I love Malapascua Island. It’s that simple. The island itself is tiny, just 2.5 sq km and 0.5km from side to side at its thinnest point. Despite this, the island has different zones as well as plenty of amazing beaches. Most people tend to stay in the south, though they are missing out on the sunsets and tranquillity of the northern part (where I now stay).
It is not the beaches that everyone visits Malapascua Island for, it is the thresher sharks. Only a short boat ride away is an underwater ridge called Monad Shoal where the sharks spend much of their time. It is undoubtedly one of the best places in the world to see thresher sharks. While the dive shops never guarantee a sighting, I’ve never met anyone who has not seen them on a dive. It is possible to see bull sharks, too, but sightings are much rarer.
There are a few other dive spots like Gato Island, which has caves, reefs, and plenty of marine life.
2. Apo Island
If you love reef diving then the best diving in Cebu – indeed, most of the world – is Apo Island. The corals are protected by a national park and are nearly perfect. I love that there are different technical dives on Apo Island. You can do straight reef dives on one side of the island, while on the other, a really strong current allows you to do drift dives.
I can honestly say that I’ve dived all over the Philippines and this is some of the very best coral I have seen. You should see lots of turtles too. To get to Apo Island, you will need to venture just outside Cebu to Negros but it is well worth the trip.
3. Moalboal
In recent years, Moalboal has become a famous freediver’s spot. However, it was a famous dive spot long before that. Moalboal is famous for its ‘sardine run’, where millions and millions of sardines slowly swim up and down the underwater island drop-off.
I can only tell you that I have spent many a sunny day swimming in and out of the shoal with the sardines’ silver skin creating a hypnotic effect that never seems to lose its power. The dive shops only usually do one dive along the sardine wall. They tend to take you out to Pescador Island where you can see sea turtles and white-tip reef sharks.
4. Oslob
Oslob is where everyone goes to see whale sharks. The local fishermen realized that if they fed the local whale sharks, lots of tourists would pay to see them. So now you can go any time of the year and see whale sharks (there were 11 when I was there). They are very tame so you can get very close.
I would recommend doing a little background research on the ethics of feeding these amazing animals; however, I decided to take the plunge (sorry for the pun). After all, aquariums are a lot worse, and with the rate of ecological decline in the oceans, this might be one of the few options left to save these creatures.
The dive shops take you into the bay with the whale sharks for one dive before heading out to the nearby reefs. There are some really nice coral spots with plenty of clownfish and even a sea snake or two.
5. Camotes Islands
I visited the Camotes Islands at the end of 2024. It is far less famous than the other spots on this list, though this is now changing due to a deluge of new resorts that are springing up all over the place.
There are two really good diving spots on Camotes: Tulang Diot and Esperanza Marine Sanctuary.
Tulang Diot or Tulang Island is off the northwest part of what I call ‘Camotes Island 1’, and is where all the tourists stay to find the best diving in Cebu. I really love it in this part of the island. It is much more Filipino than down south and is really not that busy compared to other destinations.
The diving is great. Plenty of coral and sea life to see. It does take a little while to get up to the dive site, so you have to leave a little earlier in the morning. If you can, try to arrange to come back by yourself so you can relax on the tranquil beaches after your dives.
6. Mactan Island
Mactan Island is the one place that I have not personally dived on this list. It is home to Cebu’s international airport and has become a mecca for one-week tourists who want simply to sit in a nice resort and do a bit of diving.
As such, a lot of resorts have been built on the island. One positive is that resorts like the Shangri-La have created small marine sanctuaries that have protected a lot of the coral and marine life.
However, the best diving, I’m told, is out at the Hilutungan Marine Sanctuary and Nalusuan Marine Sanctuary. My friend said that the coral is pretty good and there are lots of sea turtles.
Tips for Divers
All of these diving spots in Cebu are within a half day’s travel of Cebu City (provided you make the ferry).
When to go
It is possible to dive all year round in Cebu, especially if you are coming from a cold country, the water in the rainy season won’t get too cold for you.
The main diving season is from February until May. This is the dry season and when the visibility and water temperatures are the best.
Cost
As with everything, the cost varies depending on where you are and what equipment you need.
The typical dive price is 1500 PHP and up, usually for a shore dive. Over the last few years, Philippine dive shops have switched to a three-dive package, which has reduced the cost per dive but increased the overall dive cost. My last three dive packages cost me 4500 PHP.
Prices also vary because of marine sanctuary fees and other costs. Diving in the Philippines costs a little more than other parts of Southeast Asia. However, the diving is much better than in Thailand or Vietnam, so it is worth the extra cost.
Share This Article
Traveling soon? Subscribe to The Insight below and get exclusive access to our personalized travel advice community via WhatsApp so you can ask all your burning travel questions.
Looking for the best comprehensive travel insurance? SafetyWing has you covered.
And for your eSIM in every country, there is only one option we recommend: Airalo.
Read more of our best insights from around the world
- A Flying Visit to Sin City: One Day in Las Vegas
- 10 Best Restaurants In Pattaya: Fine-dining, Views and Beachfront Locations
- The Perfect 10 Day Itinerary for Türkiye: History, Culture and Sea
- 6 Best Restaurants in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin for 2025
- 7 Best Things To Do In Pattaya: 2-Hours From Bangkok!
- Helsinki vs. Stockholm – Deciding Which Baltic Sea Capital to Visit
