Diving in Palawan
Also known as “The wild west of the Philippines“ due to its location and remoteness, the archipelago of Palawan is one of the largest provinces in the country. This region has over 1,800 tropical islands, unspoiled beaches of fine white sand, sparkling crystal blue water and an almost untouched jungle interior; with all these marvels, it’s no wonder why this region was described by Jacques Cousteau as “The most beautiful place I’ve ever explored.“ Diving lovers and explorers will find the perfect adventure in Palawan with its rich diversity of wildlife, both under the water and above, breathtaking scenery and world-class diving. This destination is one of the Philippines most well-kept secrets, as most of it is relatively unexplored and untouched by tourism. Most dive spots are located in El Nido, Coron, and Puerto Princesa, which is well known for being the staging point of the weekly diving liveaboards of Tubbataha Reef. The best time to travel to this paradise is between March and June when you will find high visibility. We recommend you book your adventures in advance, as there is a short diving season, especially in the Tubbataha reef. The best way to arrive at Palawan is by ferry or by flying into Puerto Princesa’s International airport, or by taking a direct flight to El Nido and Coron from Manila and Cebu.
Dive Sites in Palawan
Featured places to go in Palawan

El Nido

Puerto Princesa/Honda Bay

Tubataha Reef

Coron Island

Busuanga

Dimakya
Aquatic Life in Palawan
Incredible sights both underwater and on land with rich biodiversity and topography are what characterize Palawan. A wide variety of hard and soft corals and many tropical reef fish, such as snappers, groupers, trevallies, and different wrasse are part of the natural habitat of Honda Bay and Puerto Princessa. In the many dive sites around El Nido, you will find large pelagics as well as different rays, black tip reef sharks, bumpheads. On occasions, you might even see a napoleon wrasse or whale sharks swimming in the region. Some other common species include mackerel, barracuda and maybe hawksbill and green sea turtles.