Dumaguete is an all-in-one scuba diving destination, offering the perfect mix of everything a scuba diver would want--great selection of resorts, a nice -sized town, excellent muck diving with lots of rare critters along the Dauin coastline, and good wide-angle opportunities at Apo Island. Add in the friendly people of the Philippines and you have a winning scuba diving destination.
Scuba Dive Level
All Levels
Visibility
33 to 100 feet (10 o 30 meters)
Average Water Temperature
81
Macro Critters
Whale Shark Encounters
Dumaguete is an all-in-one scuba diving destination, offering the perfect mix of everything a scuba diver would want--great selection of resorts, a nice-sized town, excellent muck diving with lots of rare critters along the Dauin coastline, and good wide-angle opportunities at Apo Island. What's more most dive resorts in Dumaguete offer the opportunity to snorkel or dive with whale sharks at nearby Oslob. Add in the friendly people of the Philippines and you have a winning scuba diving destination.
Dumaguete is located on the island of Negros, adjacent to Cebu Island, and is a quick inexpensive 1-hour flight from Manila. Most resorts and dive sites lie a few miles south of the city along the coast in an area called Dauin, and many have great house reefs.
One of Dumaguete's main attractions is its nice selection of resorts, including some high-end boutique resorts that you can stay at for a reasonable price. Although the local sites are known mainly for macro and critter dives, a little bit of travel in your boat or car brings you to great reefs and wide-angle subjects like large coral reefs, schools of jacks, groupers and the now famous whale sharks of Cebu.
The scuba diving sites of Dauin have a number of great macro subjects, including pipefish, mandarin fish, juvenile batfish, seahorses, mantis shrimp, ribbon eels, dragonets, hairy squat lobster, snake eels, wonderpus octopus, bobtail squid, a large number of nudibranchs, blue-ring octopus, harlequin shrimp, and flamboyant cuttlefish. Nearby Apo Island has turtles, sea snakes, a school of jacks, groups, clownfish, and lots of reef fish.
Most dive resorts along the Dauin coastline offer a day trip to Oslob, where you can swim and snorkel up-close with the endangered whale sharks. It is located about a 2.5-hour drive away from Dauin, and sightings of these gentle creatures are practically guaranteed.
Local fishermen are authorized to feed the whale sharks daily in Oslob, which in turn makes this area a very reliable to place to see these gentle creatures.
Despite the criticism surrounding the feeding activity in Oslob, some marine scientists argue that it actually gives extraordinary contributions to conservation.
As marine scientist Judi Lowe said in an interview, "Oslob is incredible because it creates livelihoods that are an alternative to fishing. The income lifts the fishermen and their families out of poverty, at the same time as protecting whale sharks and marine reserves. The tourism finances sea patrols by the Bantay Dagat, or volunteer sea wardens, who protect whale sharks and prevent destructive fishing. They are actually fishing less. Fish catch is up and the number of species of fish being caught has increased."
Here is a great underwater video from Apo Island. Watch full-screen in high-def!
Here are some of the best dive sites and what you can in and around the Dauin coastline of Dumaguete.
Dumaguete is about a 1-hour flight from the Manila International Airport (MNL), also known as Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Several major Asian airports run flights to MNL and serve as layovers for visitors from the US and Europe. You can even find direct flights into Manila for major U.S. cities, offered by Philippines Airlines.
Most of the hotels, dive centers, and dive sites are situated 15 kilometers south in Dauin. The dive centers offer up to four dives each day as well as Mandarin fish dives and night dives. Many divers combine Dumaguete with a trip to Puerto Galera, Moalboal, Anilao or Malapascua for thresher sharks.
Read the recap of our 2020 trip to the Visayas.
Dumaguete is a year-round diving destination where critters and rich marine life are to be found all months of the year. April is the driest month of the year, but December to June is usually sunny. July to mid-Nov can get a decent amount of rain, and even a monsoon (Aug - Oct is peak monsoon time) but monsoons in the Philippines generally affect the north part of the Philippines, with Dumaguete affected less. We have traveled to Dumaguete in early July and the rain is short and welcome. October is a particularly good time for macro subjects, especially octopuses.
Dumaguete is relatively limited in terms of non-dive activities. There are no restaurants or nightclubs in the area. 4 dives a day and three meals is a full schedule, especially as an underwater photographer maintaining a camera rig. Bring a book, talk to new friends and take in the amazing sunsets on the days you're not night diving.
Snorkeling and diving with whale sharks at Oslob in Cebu, is also a popular day trip option offered by many resorts in Dumaguete.
Explore Dumaguete
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