Palawan Tours Philippines - Palawan Travel and Tours Guide

Palawan Resort Hotels and Beach Resorts Guide and Reservation Services

PALAWAN DIVE PACKAGES

Amanpulo Pamalican Resort | Palawan Dive Sites

AMANPULO PAMALICAN ISLAND RESORT

Amanpulo is set on its own private island, Pamalican, part of the Quiniluban group of Cuyo Island in the Philippines. Guests arrive from Manila by chartered plane which lands directly on Pamalican.

Surrounded by white sand beaches, turquoise water and a coral reef three hundred metres from the shore, the resort provides a variety of watersports and beach activities.

DIVE SITES IN PALAWAN

The Irako ( Wreck Dive )

A Japanese refrigeration ship, displacement 9,570 tons, length about 200 meters.

Location :
Sitting at the mouth of Coron Bay, this wreck is considered as the best wreck dive in the Philippines. The Irako is quite in tact and because of good visibility, divers can't help but be amazed at this big shipwreck. Now serving as home to most big groupers, schools of yellow fin and tuna fish, lion fish and lion fish along with a diverse growth of soft corals and many other reef fishes. Another seasoned favorite resident are the two sea turtles which lived in the crumpled and folded metal of the superstructure. Trained and well-equipped divers can venture deeper into the deep penetration through the engine room. The Irako has the best visibility of all wrecks in Coron Bay.

Max Depths :
43 meters on the bottom, deck level lies at 28 to 35 meters.
Recommended certification level:
Advanced Open Water Diver, Deep Diver Specialty, Wreck Diver Specialty.

Taiei Maru

Japanese tanker, about 200m long.

Location:
At Busuanga island, 2 miles due South of Concepcion. This by far is the largest among all Coron wrecks in length, width and volume. The depth usually enables divers to enjoy the site for at least an hour. Beautiful corals cover the wreck offering a diverse variety of marine life to flourish. With the deck measuring a good 10 meters and 16 meters, this is an excellent site for wreck beginners, there are of course many penetration possibilities for advanced wreck divers as well. Please note that strong currents often affect this wreck.

Max depth:
26 meters on the bottom, 10 to 16 meters on deck.

Recommended certification level:
1.Divng outside the deck with no strong current: Open Water Diver
2.Diving with a current: Advanced Open Water Diver
3.Penetration Dive: Wreck Diver Specialty

Akitsushima

Japanese Seaplane Tender about 180 meters long.

Location:
Between Culion and Busuanga Islands, near Manglet Island. A very big warship lying on her portside is what best describes the Akitsushima. History accounts that she was hit amidships and sank almost immediately. The flying boat disappeared. A crane intended to lift the seaplane out of the water is equally impressive. The enormous metal construction now lies on the sandy bottom and attracts schools of giant batfish and barracudas. The AA ( anti-aircraft ) guns are still present and in tact. An equally amazing dive where you can witness giant groupers, schools of barracuda, tuna and yellow fin. There is however a restriction due to the metal hazards present, no swim through is allowed without wreck diver certification.

Max depth:
35 meters, average depth about 26 to 28 meters.

Recommended certification level:
Advanced Open Water Diver. For penetration: PADI wreck Diver Specialty.

Kogyo Maru

A Japanese freighter, about 160m long, lying on her starboard side.

Location:
Coron Bay, within the large cargo holds you can still see loaded construction materials, a cement mixer and even a small bulldozer! Fiercely lying on the deck are anti-aircraft weapons once used by its Japanese crew can still be seen. Selected areas allow easy penetration and along the port side, many corals, abundant reef fish and groupers now serves as their peaceful home.

Max depth:
34 meters, average 24-26 meters.

Recommended certification level:
Advanced Open Water Diver, Wreck Diver Specialty.

Morazan Maru

Another Japanese freighter about 140 meters long, majestically sitting upright.

Location:
Coron Bay. A very good dive site abounding with beautiful corals, reef fishes and diverse marine life. Commonly seen within the area are large shoals of banana fish, giant bat fish and giant puffer fish especially around the mast, bow and stern. Allows easy penetration at the cargo rooms offering a good opportunity for discovering the wonders of wreck diving.

Max depth:
28-30 meters, deck level 18-24 meters.

Recommended certification level:
Advanced Open Water Diver, Wreck Diver Specialty.

Olympia Maru

Japanese freighter about 120 meters long, lying on its starboard side.

Location: Coron Bay. Another beautiful wreck dive site where one can observe big sweetlips, groupers, sea turtles and sea snakes. With a growth of hard corals covering the port side at only 14-18m below the surface. Many scorpion fish favors the ideal conditions and decided to dwell along the wreck. We strongly advise that you keep your eyes open and stay neutrally buoyant! The large cargo and engine rooms allows for easy penetration. This wreck is for advanced open water divers.

Max depth:
25 meters, average about 15 meters.
Recommended certification level:
Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, Wreck Diver Specialty.

East Tangat Gunboat

This ship was a small gunboat or submarine hunter approximately 35 meters long.

Location:
East side of Tangat Island. Yet another good site for wreck diving due to good visibility conditions. Wreck diving beginners and underwater photographers will find delight in this wreck due to its abundant marine life. The dive becomes lovelier as you go deeper but the wreck itself starts at only 3 meters down accessible and visible even to snorkelers for them to see the shape and explore the bow of the ship.

Max depth: 18 meters

Recommended certification level:
Skin Diver, Open Water Diver.

Lusong Island Wreck

Another action filled-gunboat or submarine hunter with the stern breaking at the surface during low tides.

Location:
Fronting the east side of Lusong Island. One of the snorkelers favorite as the wreck itself is not that deep. Abundant fish and marine life provides great opportunities for wreck dive photographers. This site is also considered as good as a "dive between dives".

Max depth: 9 meters

Recommended certification level:
Skin Diver, Open Water Diver

Skeleton Wreck

As the name suggests, this wreck is basically the keel, ribs and stringers of a steel-hulled boat about 25 meters long.

Location:
A wreck beached with the bow a dozen meters from Coron Island. Its stern is pointing directly away from the island where the wreck slopes along the reef from 7 meters deep at the bow to 22 meters at the stern. Passing through the starboard side of the hull is possible and at 14 meters, you can swim from the inside of the boat and out over the coral reef.

Max depth: 22 meters on the bottom. Slopes from 7meters to 22 meters.

Recommended certification level: Open Water Diver.

The Fishing Boat

Location:
Coron Island. This wreck is relatively recent and measures approximately 35 meters long and lies near the entrance of Cayangan Lake. A good and easy wreck dive site for all beginners or a combination with the Coron drop off. Equally astounding site for night dives.

Max depth: 16 meters

Recommended certification level: Open Water Diver

Barracuda Lake

Known as "the craziest dive site in the Philippines."

Location:
Northern end of Coron Island. A very physically challenging dive site as it requires divers to start off with mountain climbing in full diving equipment over sharp limestone cliffs. Many divers confess that they are wearing their tennis shoes and sandals and carry their fins strapped to their tank. A 53 cubic foot tank is recommended for this dive as it is more than 4 kilograms lighter than an 80. Climbing takes a full 15 minutes but the effort is really worth every inch. A spectacular scenery welcomes everyone while the underwater terrain gives everyone the feeling of hovering over the surface of the moon. A unique condition abides in the waters of the lake as the top 4 meters is basically warm freshwater and beyond 4 meters is salt water. The thermoclines are visible at 4 and 14 meters and the temperature dynamic ranging from 28 to 38 degrees celcius. Water visibility changes at 34 to 35 meters of crystal clear water to tea brown due to the tannic acid in the leaves that fell into the lake. After the cooking and boiling, one will meet the proud resident dubbed as the "king of the lake". It is a big barracuda measuring approximately 1.5 meters long and likes to guide divers around his domain. An exhilarating and exciting dive one should not miss.

Max depth: 35 meters

Recommended certification level:
Open Water Diver, Mountain Climbing Diver Specialty.