Join us for reefs and ship wrecks in the Philippines.
- Departure: September 9th, 2019 (Mon)
- Return: September 15th, 2019 (Sun)
Coron Bay is situated in North Palawan, the most westerly part of the Philippines. It lies in beween Busuanga and Culion Islands. There is fabulous diving all around the area, but the bay is particularly well known as having some of the best wreck diving in the world.
Join us for reefs and ship wrecks in the Philippines. Apart from the historic sunken ships, the fantastic reefs, rich-striking marine life, charmingly naive manatee and the famous Apo Reef makes Coron become one of the most popular dive destination in Philippines.
Dive Sites
* Click dive flag for site information.
Okikawa Maru
This was a civilian tanker/oiler ordered form Mainila to Coron Bay on the 22nd September 1944. Two days later, she was hit by bombs and sank. She is 160m long and lies two miles south of Concepcion in the northwest of the bay. Confusion has reigned for a while about its true name. Many called it The Taiei Maru, but it has been confirmed that the latter ship was sunk seperately by a submarine in August 1944. To confuse matters further, the site is sometimes referred to as Concepcion Wreck.
Olymipa Maru
This vessel was a Japanese army cargo ship. She is 120m long and lies on her starboard side in 25m of water. The wreck is situated just south of Busuanga and west of Tangat Island. The wreck is intact and penetration is easy at the cargo holds. Swim throughs to the bridge are not too demanding. A hole in the side can bring you out again. The ease of access makes this an ideal site to discover wreck diving.
Kogyo Maru
This was a Japanese freighter carrying construction materials for the building of a runway in the Pacific. She is 158m long, displaces 6,353 tons and situated to the north of Irako Wreck, just off Tangat Island. The vessel is pretty much intact and as most swim throughs are large, it is a good first wreck dive for beginners. Care, as always, should be taken though. Lying on her starboard side in 38m of water, access is possible to all six holds, the engine room and the bridge. The second hold is a real treasure trove. Cement bags are evident and you'll come across a bulldozer, tractor and air compressor, all of which are intact and encrusted. As you come out of the hold, you can swim the height of the front mast, now horizontal and reach the crow's nest at the top.
Japanese Freighter
There is a lot of confusion as to the name of this ship. Some believe it to be The Taiei Maru, The Morazon Maru or even The Mamiya Maru. As no-one seems certain, it has been named as above. She lies not far west off Tangat Island in 25m of water and is 140m long. The decks are at 18-24m which makes it another suitable site for the budding wreck diver. Access is easy through the cargo holds and engine room. If you time your dive between 10am-2pm and it's sunny, the wreck is lit up like a cathedral. A big attraction are the two main boilers that are amidships and intact. If you pass between the boilers you will find the damage that resulted in the sinking of this ship. It is poosible to swim through from bow to stern without exiting the ship.
Irako
This vessel was a refrigeration ship, about 147m long and displacing 9,570 tons. It is the most southerly of the wrecks normally visited by divers and is located at the mouth of Coron Bay. It's an impressive challenge and as visibility is probably the best of any wreck in the area, it is the most popular with trained divers. Generally, the wreck is fairly intact and it's possible to enter it towards the back where the wheelhouse is. The steering wheel is still visible. From there you can swim through to the cargo holds. Probably the best part to explore is the underneath of the superstructure. It is possible to go down into a cargo hold at 36m and swim throught to the galley.
Tangat Gunboat
There is a lot of confusion as to the name of this ship. Some believe it to be The Taiei Maru, The Morazon Maru or even The Mamiya Maru. As no-one seems certain, it has been named as above. She lies not far west off Tangat Island in 25m of water and is 140m long. The decks are at 18-24m which makes it another suitable site for the budding wreck diver. Access is easy through the cargo holds and engine room. If you time your dive between 10am-2pm and it's sunny, the wreck is lit up like a cathedral. A big attraction are the two main boilers that are amidships and intact. If you pass between the boilers you will find the damage that resulted in the sinking of this ship. It is poosible to swim through from bow to stern without exiting the ship.
Akitsushima
This was the only warship sunk in Coron Bay. She was a 118m long Japanese sea plane tender. The planes (Kawanishi) would be lowered to the sea by crane and take off from there. She is situated just northwest of Manglet Island. Remarkably, she is fairly intact bearing in mind that she took a direct hit towards the stern where the flying boat was kept and sank immediately. She was almost torn in two and the flying boat was never found. Only some of the metal on the starboard side and bottom prevented the ship from breaking apart. In fact, the bottom - the keel - is a good place to enter the wreck.
Kyokuzan Maru
This Japanese army cargo ship is 136m long and located to the north of Busuanga. Unfortunately, due to the distance from Coron, it is not visited that often by dive operators and you may need to find a group to go with. Alternatively, live-aboard operators also visit as part of their itinery. It is more or less intact and swimming through the cargo holds, you will discover various cars and trucks from a bygone age.
Lusong Gunboat
This was either a gunboat or a submarine hunter. Lying in 11m of water on the east side of Lusong Island, the stern actually breaks the surface at low tide. As a result, it is a great site for snorkeling and photography and there is a good variety of hard corals and marine life.
Barracuda Lake
This is another unusual and interesting dive. Firstly, you will have to climb up a limestone mountain in full gear for 15-20 minutes until you arrive at the lake. Then there's a 33m dive to a cave with 30m of penetration. The cave is situated on the north wall of the lake and so named for its resident barracuda who may deign to show you around. The opportunities for photography at this point are excellent. Water temperatures vary from 30-38 degrees Celsius, so prepare to "boil" for a while. The variation in temperature is so large that you can see the thermoclines. The cave is marked with a fixed line on the right side as you enter and it is just big enough for one diver at a time to go in and turn around.
Itinerary
Day 1 (September 9th) - Departure
Meet together and check in at Pudong airport around 22:00 in the late evening.
Day 2 (September 10th) - Get Coron
Transit in Manila, get Coron about 10:30 and transport to El Rio Y Mar Resort to check in.
Free leisure on the day, the local hot spring is a good option.
Stay overnight at El Rio Y Mar Resort.
Day 3 (September 11th) - Day 6 (September 14th) - Diving
- Dive Apo Reef for 1 day
- The sunken ships for 2 days
- Coral Reefs and Manatee Dive for 1 day
* 3 dives a day but dive sites are dependent on weather conditions.
Stay overnight at El Rio Y Mar Resort.
Day 7 (September 15th) - Dry day and Back to Shanghai
NO DIVE today, check out in the morning, transport to Coron airport and fly to Manila.
Transit in Manila and fly back to Shanghai
Take the flight and get back to Shanghai around 11:45pm.
El Rio Y Mar Resort
El Rio Y Mar Resort is the perfect haven for those seeking an escape from the urban jungle. Nestled in a beautiful tranquil bay with a breathtaking view of calm waters and rolling hills, the resort offers the perfect ambiance for romantic getaways and retreats. Guests are guaranteed of personalized service with the trademark warmth and charm of native Palawe'os. The resort also offers scuba diving, hiking, water sports and tours around Coron.
Cost
Cost Included
- Travel Insurance
- Transfer between the airport, hotel and dive site
- 5 nights twin shared A/C room in El Rio Y Mar Resort
- Breakfast
- 12 dives
- Tanks, weight and divemaster services
- Diving equipment
Cost Excluded
- Flight Ticket
- Dinner and lunch on non-diving day
- Local safari
- Extra Boat Dives
- Nitrox Fills
- Soft drink and beer
- Tips
- Anything not listed in the costs included
Other Cost
- BCD: 400 Philippine Peso
- Regulator: 400 Philippine Peso
- Wetsuit: 300 Philippine Peso
- Full Set Equipment (all above): 1500 Philippine Peso
- Underwater Light: 500 Philippine Peso
Requirements
- Certified diver (PADI Open Water Diver or above)
- Non-diver
Seat Limitation
We have 10 seats for this trip, sign up today!
Notes
- LIST OF COUNTRIES ALLOWED VISA-FREE ENTRY
- We can help to apply for a Philippine Visa (if needed - please inform us at booking).
- The passport must be valid for more than 6 months.
- You'll need your Passport and Dive certification
- The water temperature is around 26 - 28c, 3mm shorty or full wet suit, thin Wetsuit or rash vest is suggested.
- Dive sites could change due to weather conditions.
- NO SPEAR FISHING.
- You will be responsible to follow Safe Diving Practices and diving within your limits.
- Indicate that you should wait a minimum of 18 hours and sometimes up to 24 hours after diving before you fly.
- Philippine Peso and USD is acceptable in Anilao, the rate for USD is about 1 USD for 43 Philippine Pesos.
- The power supply in the Philippine is 220 volt / 60 Hz, the power adapter is twin flat parallel pins plug.
- Please remember to purchase the weight of the total amount that includes the personal stuff and the equipment when you book the flight ticket, otherwise the airport will issue a charge of 400PHP (about 60RMB) / KG for each flight.
Reservation and Cancellation
Please email or call before August 10th , 2019 to check availability.
50% deposit is necessary to secure your seat, the remaining balance must be paid 30 days before departure.
For cancellations less than 30 days before the trip we are not able to give refunds.
If you need a reservation or have any question, please contact us by sending email to info@big-blue.cn or call +86(21)6291-2110.
Big Blue is looking forward to hearing from you, thank you very much.