We only offer diving services as part of our multiday private boat tours around Coron or between El Nido and Coron, which can include scuba diving tours near El Nido.
For example, for two people a private boat tour would cost $400 per day (2 days minimum), according to our dive prices a refresher course would cost 9,000p/person, stay one night at Seaview Villa at our favorite resort with own private beach for 7,500p one night adds up to roughly $1,240 for two days (total), which would include:
- three meals a day
- one night accommodation with own private beach
- one day of diving and one day of tour to Coron sites of your choice
Of course you can choose from your own accommodation, how many days you want to tour sites and how many days diving. Just send us your desires and we’ll calculate the price for you.
Coron has been considered as one of the best spots in the World for Wreck diving! On the 24th of September 1944, 24 Japanese Ships were sunk by an Americain Air raid. There were 12 shipwrecks that have been discovered up to now. The shipwrecks are very well preserved and are all located in quite shallow water, perfect for recreational diving. However it is best to be at least Open Water Advanced to fully enjoy the shipwrecks as some dives can be quite challenging.
Most of the wrecks are really big (up to 160m!) and require more than one dive if you want to explore the entire ship. There are also boundless possibilities of penetration and even very deep penetration (especially on the Taiei Maru and the Akitsushima ) for the most experienced divers!
The shipwrecks lay either upright or on the side. Their depth is ranging from 12m to 30m. Only the Irako wreck is deeper, at 43m.
However, the visibility is often low (from 5m to 15m) and the marine life around the shipwrecks is poor with mostly Scorpionfishes, Crocodilefishes, Nudibranchs are the usual reef fishes like the Triggerfish or Clownfish. Groupers and Barracudas can also sometimes be spotted. So if you come to Coron it is definitely because you are passionate about Wreck Diving, not just to see the fish! This place is really beautiful and divers coming there are usually delighted!
Best time to dive in Coron, Palawan
Diving Season
It is possible to dive around Coron all year round. However they can experience some bad weather during the wet season (June to September / October) that can sometimes prevent any diving from happening. The best weather is usually from December to March and it is also at that time that the visibility is at its best.
Scuba Diving conditions
Water Temperature: ranging from 25°C to 31°C depending on the season.
Currents: From gentle to strong depending on the tide and location.
Visibility: You can expect a visibility of 5m to 15m. The best visibility is usually during the dry season (November to May).
Coron Scuba Diving Sites
Green balloons on this map are the dive sites (blue are regular sites and yellow accommodation resorts).
Below is just a sample of the sites we can take you to.
Coron, located in the northern part of Palawan, Philippines, is renowned for its exceptional scuba diving sites, particularly its historical World War II shipwrecks.
Here’s a list of notable dive sites around Coron, along with brief descriptions and historical contexts:
Lusong Gunboat
The Lusong Gunboat Wreck is a popular snorkeling and Scuba Diving site in Coron Bay. It is a shallow spot with the shipwreck being between 5m and 15m deep. The boat is about 25m long. This shallow shipwreck dive is ideal for amateurs. In addition, the reef life is fantastic with plenty of small fishes all around the Lusong Gunboat. It is usually done as the second relaxing dive of the day.
Lusong Gunboat is very shallow, starting at the surface and going to 10 meters. We snorkel it on our Pass Island route, and it can also be a dive, though it’s a small wreck so we also go along the reef.
This spot is perfect for macro underwater photography as there is plenty of things to see and you will a long bottom time. The hard and soft coral is great on the nearby reef perfect to finish your dive in shallow water.
It takes only 5 minutes to reach the place from the Coron Resorts.
This location is a Reef. You can dive Lusong Gunboat all year long.
Access: from the Shore.
Level: Advanced divers
East Tangat Gunboat
East Tangat Gunboat is on the east side of Sangat Island, a shallow wreck dive and reef dive less than 20 meters.
Irako Wreck Dive Site
Irako is a deep dive and some of it collapsing, dangerous, so we don’t normally dive there.
The Irako Wreck is one of the best Wreck Dives of Coron Bay in Palawan and in the Philippines. It is a 147m long and 19m wide former Japanese Refrigeration Ship. It was sunk during World War II in 1944 by an American air attack.
The Irako Wreck I lies now 40m deep still pretty much intact. The visibility is usually good and there is a great marine life surrounding the shipwreck making it one of the best dive sites around Busuanga Island. Here you can spot hunting Tunas and Groupers as well as Green Sea Turtles and Lionfishes. Barracudas and Trevallies can also be seen patrolling the ship. The hard and soft Coral all over the Irako is great especially on the superstructures.
The main deck is 34m deep and has penetration opportunities in the Wheelhouse and the Cargo bays. The Engine Room is also penetrable but at this depth it should only be attempted by very experienced divers with the necessary equipment.
Due to this great depth and sometimes strong currents it is best to be an Advanced diver to fully enjoy this amazing wreck! Moreover, it is better to dive with Nitrox gas if you want to increase your bottom time.
The Irako Wreck is located just 10 min by speed boat from Coron Dive Resorts just south of another beautiful shipwreck, the Kogyo Maru!
Most people are here for Wreck Diving. You can dive Irako Wreck all year long.
Access: from the Shore.
Level: Advanced divers
Akitsushima Dive Site
The Akitsushima Wreck is a former Seaplane Tender sunk in Coron Bay in Palawan. This former war ship is 118m long and is now one of the best dive site around Coron. It is located not far from another great spot, the Okikawa Maru Wreck.
The Akitsushima has been sunk on September 24 1944 during World War 2 by an American Air attack. It now lies in good shape on her port side 36m deep. The shallowest point of the shipwreck is 22m deep.
Akitsushima is near Okikawa, both near Busuanga Bay. It’s a deep dive, to about 28 meters, so the dives here are only 30 to 35 minutes instead of 50 minutes to an hour. The ship was one of only two seaplane tenders in the Japanese navy, and its diesel engines are still intact. The best dive day in the entire Coron area is to dive “Aki-Oki,” Akitsushima and Okikawa.
There are several penetration possibilities especially in the engine room where you can observe the machinery and the 4 engines. Due to the depth this should only be done by divers with a wreck diving certification.
The Seaplane that the Akitsushima was carrying disappeared in the explosion after she was hit at the stern and then sunk in a few minutes. You can still see the huge crane that was used to lift the seaplane. There is also an antiaircraft gun that you can find near the seabed.
You can spot also some interesting sea life with Barracudas, Tunas and Batfishes patrolling around the Shipwreck but there is not so many fishes.
Due to the depth and sometimes strong current this dive site is reserved to Advanced Divers.
Most people are here for Wreck Diving.You can dive Akitsushima all year long.
Access: from the Shore.
Okikawa Maru (Taiei Maru)
This 160-meter-long oil tanker lies in shallow waters, with its main deck at 16 meters and the deepest point at 26 meters. The wreck is encrusted with corals and attracts schools of barracuda, snapper, and other reef fish.
Okikawa, our largest and nicest wreck, is a World War 2 Japanese oil tanker 160 meters long. It is suitable for Open Water and even Junior divers, starting at 9 meters and going to only 12 to 14 meters for its decks. Deeper diving to 25 meters is also available. The wreck has the most fish and coral life, like an aquarium. It sometimes has strong current.
Morazan Maru (Ekkai Maru)
Originally a passenger-cargo vessel built in 1907, it was later commandeered during WWII. The 92-meter-long wreck lies at a depth of 25 meters, with accessible cargo holds and an intact engine room.
Morazan, to 22 meters to go through the propeller shaft into the boiler rooms. There’s a lot to see inside this British ship which was stolen by the Japanese, and the superstructure makes a kind of lattice for sea life.
Kogyo Maru
Kogyo, a deep dive to 30 meters to go inside the cargo holds where there’s a tractor, bags of cement, bales of fencing wire, etc. As with all the other wrecks, there are a lot of fish and corals.
Olympia Maru
A 122-meter-long cargo ship sunk during WWII, now resting upright at depths ranging from 18 to 32 meters. The wreck is vibrant with marine life, including schools of tropical fish inhabiting its spacious cargo holds.
Olympia, starting at 18 meters and going down to around 27 meters for a dive through the holds, has bags of rice still decomposing 80 years later. Oil drums, also, and a big school of jacks, usually, at the superstructure.
Reef diving sites
Around Chindonan Island
If you stay at our base camp (Sandy Beach Resort), we can take you to a lot of nearby places for excellent snorkeling and shallow diving, and fantastic night diving!
Our local reef is awesome for night dives, not to be missed. We have lots of crabs, shrimp, seahorses, cuttlefish, and often see frogfish, turtles, sometimes octopi, etc. During the day we have also seen dugongs, though they are more rare.
Mid-channel reef, only a mile out from us, is a large shallow seamount with so many beautiful sand and coral grottoes and lots of blue coral. Not as many fish as on the wrecks, but still beautiful.
Titans, only a couple hundred meters from us, has a lot of towers of hard coral and we’ve seen rays here. Coral in excellent shape.
Dynamite Point, only about a mile from us, is great for soft corals and is often a drift dive with current.
We are exploring other new reefs all the time and are flexible in our trips. We promise you a great and memorable dive experience!
Malcapuya area
Malcapuya, Banana, and Ditaytayan all have good reef dives that can be combined with island hopping. Ditaytayan and Banana are great for snorkeling, also, with large areas of shallow reef.
Calis Point
Cathedral is an amazing cave dive into a huge cave at the end of Calis Point, the southern end of Coron Island, but is accessible only on unusually calm days.
Barracuda Lake
The north shore of Coron Island has several dives, including Barracuda Lake for a geothermal dive in which the water gets hotter, to 38 degrees celsius, as you go deeper. There are also two islands out front which have good reefs for diving.
A unique dive site known for its extreme thermoclines, where water temperatures can shift from 28°C to 38°C. The lake’s underwater limestone formations provide a surreal diving experience, though marine life is minimal.
Black Island
Black Island has very clear water and large schools of thousands of fish since it is the farthest out of the islands, and it has a nice shipwreck, in the mid 20’s for depth. It’s between the size of the gunboats and the larger wrecks and has a very intact electrical room.
Pass Island
Pass Island has a nice reef dive, shallow, to combine with island hopping.
Skeleton Wreck
Generally we do not offer this for diving as it is not interesting, unless a customer really wants to.
Booking and Prices
The refresher course has a different rate than fun dives. This costs 9,000 pesos/person for 3 dives (whole day).
Our dive rates are as follows if you have been diving the past year (a refresher course/tune-up is required if you haven’t been diving in a year):
- 2 fun dives per day is 7,500 pesos per person
- 3 fun dives per day is 8,000 pesos per person
Included in this price are equipment, freshly cooked lunch, drinks (water, soft drink, and beer), entrance fees (to shipwrecks and selected reefs only), dive guide, and hotel pick-up.
You can choose on the boat if you want to do 2 dives or 3 dives. If you want to do just 2, you would have to wait for the others to finish their third dive.
- ₱2,500/person for non-diver
Dive sites will depend on your level of certification. Usually, 2-3 WWII shipwrecks with a mix of reef diving.
All serious dives require (including the refresher course) at least the Open Water certificate.
We also offer Discover Scuba Diving for those with no certification. 6,500p for two dives and instruction and gear and tanks, all inclusive. Down to 12 meters.
We offer refresher and Open Water (down to 18m) and fun dives for those who are certified.
We have many dive sites, including shipwrecks, reefs, and night dives.
To book just send us a note and we’ll design the perfect package for you.
Experience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines
Other links
Our reviews:
Home » Palawan » Boat Tours »
We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.