Coron Bay, Busuanga Island - Diving Holiday Destination

Coron Bay, Busuanga Island (Phillipines)

The Phillippines are a multitude of tropical & semi-tropical islands, spread in the middle of the South China Sea. Miles of stunning coral reefs – most of them still waiting to be explored. A friendly, welcoming English-speaking population, a stable economy and a democratically-elected government. With warm blue tropical waters, sandy beaches and palm trees, the Philippines deserves it's nickname Asia's Diving Capital. The islands offer idyllic weather and water temperature for divers.

Spectacular drop-offs, deep dives, caves, wrecks, and a richly varied marine life await the visitor. The variety of hard and soft corals is amazing; there are more than 500 species (the entire Caribbean only has around 60). Divers commonly see sharks, rays, moray eels, octopus, and sea snakes, along with innumerable species of fish, including groupers, jack, tuna, surgeonfish, parrot fish, sweetlips and lionfish, to name a few. Of the 100,000 known species of shellfish, over 21,000 are found here, including many that are unique to the Philippines. It's a diver's paradise!

One of the unique diving attractions in the Philippines is the availability of local dive boats or outriggers called “Bankas”. These comfortable boats are able to get into shallow areas with expert precision, in order to let you enjoy your dive experience to the fullest. Certain dive operations also operate with traditional dive boats and if neither of these options is appealing, there is always the Liveaboard to serve your diving needs.

Palawan is 1,768 islands of pristine white beaches, dramatic rock formations, secret coves and underground mysteries. An untamed land, a nature lover’s paradise and an adventurer’s dream: Palawan certainly lives up to its image as the last frontier.

The Palawan Island province has been declared a nature sanctuary of the world and for good reason. It is wrapped in a mantel of rainforests, outstanding dive sites, majestic mountains, primeval caves and shimmering beaches. It bursts with exotic flora and fauna and is surrounded by a coral shelf that abounds with varied and colourful marine life.

Palawan boasts of massive number accommodations to suit all preferences from modest facilities to classy resorts. The world - renowned French aquatic biologist Jacques Cousteau spoke of Palawan as the most beautiful place he ever explored. Regarded as the Philippines last ecological frontier, Palawan provides world-class diving and a diverse wildlife that is not found in any other part of the archipelago.

Busuanga Island is in Northern Palawan, its main town is Coron. Busuanga Island is mainly known as a diving location due to the twelve World War II Japanese wrecks that were sunk by American navy bombings in Coron Bay, a natural anchorage near the town center of Coron, on September 24, 1944.

It' s remote, rarely visited by tourists, which helped to keep the wrecks here to one of the best kept secret of the Philippines. Coron town is the center of Busuanga Island and perfectly located in front of the beautiful "skyline" of Coron Island. The town is pretty laid back. The people live mainly from fishing, trading and newly from Wreck diving.

Climate

CLIMATE: The Philippines is a tropical country with an average temperature of 32°C (80°F). March to June is hot and dry (36°C); rains and typhoons abound from July to October; November to February is pleasantly cool (around 23°C) and dry. In mountainous regions, temperatures dip to about 15°C.

Dive Facts

WATER TEMPERATURE:

December - March 21 C to 25 C

April - November 25 C to 28 C

These average temperatures allow divers to experience the underwater world in comfort in as little as a dive skin or when acclimatized, some divers prefer a full 3mm wetsuit.

Dive Attractions

See our Dive Sites Directory for more info on Palawan Islands Dive Sites, and our Dive Club Directory for Palawan Dive Clubs and Tour Operators.

The principal dive sites are 12 World War II Japanese shipwrecks sunk on September 24, 1944 by US Navy action. They range in depth from the surface to 40M. This large variety offers exciting wreck exploration for enthusiasts, from novice divers and snorkelers and recreational divers to experienced TEC divers.

Since Coron is part of the Calamian group of islands, there are a lot of reefs and walls to dive as well. These dive sites are full of marine and coral life and are ideal for both day and night diving. Here are some of the dive sites: Barracuda Lake, Delian Island, Dimakya Island, Dumumpalit Island, Malajon Island, Malay Island, Tana Island, North and South Cay Island. Marine life to be found in these dive sites are: jacks, snappers, surgeon fish, small garoupas, barracudas, Spanish mackarels, black and white tip sharks, to name a few.

Other

Capital: Manila
Languages: Phillipino and English
Currency: Philippine Peso (PHP)

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