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Visayas Liveaboard, Philippines

There’s only one problem with diving the central region of the Philippines known as the Visayas – there’s just too many dive sites to see in even a generous vacation time. A newly launched Visayas liveaboard from Expedition Fleet makes it easier to see the best of the Visayas

Asian Diver Issue 100

This article was first published in Asian Diver magazine, Issue 100, 2008. It appears here in its unabridged form.

Scattered around Cebu City, the Philippines’ second biggest city, is a cluster of excellent dive destinations – Malapascua, Gato, Moalboal, Apo Island, Balisacag and Calibao – that could take weeks to properly explore if hopping from one dive resort to another. Despite being geographically quite near to each other as the crow flies, the vagaries of transport infrastructure in the Philippines means it can be several hours journey by several different modes of somewhat bumpy transport to get from one place to another. One solution is Expedition Fleet’s recently launched Visayas liveaboard, which runs in a week long voyage loop from Cebu City to explore the central island group of the Philippines.

Seahorse
Seahorse

Malapascua provided a suitably dramatic beginning for my own Visayas trip, the island famous as one of the few places in the world where the enigmatic, long-tailed thresher shark can be regularly encountered. We hit the water by 6am for our first dive, as sunlight was already breaking over Malapascua’s white sand and palm-tree fringed beaches. Down below, however, the sun’s rays were barely penetrating, and the gloom felt distinctly sombre as we made our way to the edge of the underwater cliff known as Monad Shoal.

Nudibranch Headshot
Nudibranch Headshot

Here our group tried to keep as still as possible as we waited to see if the dive site’s famous inhabitants might put in an appearance. The flat plateau stretching back from the drop is blasted, both by currents and the after effects of dynamite fishing, so there is little distraction from staring out into the blue, waiting, and wondering if it really can be this easy to see one of the world’s most elusive sharks. As the minutes rolled by I was beginning to think not – and then our patience was rewarded as a thresher shark suddenly made its elegant appearance out of the gloom at the edge of the drop, following it around as if purposely giving everyone in our group a good look at the sheer bulk and grace of its silvery body and the iconic whiplash tail. It was a definite moment of celebration for some of our divers, who’d made three visits to the island and still not seen a thresher until now.

Two Pipefish
Two Pipefish

Our dive the following morning was also a little sombre, as it was on the shipwreck of the Dona Marilyn near Gato Island, a passenger ferry lost in 1988. Lying on its side, the sizeable wreck’s hull now has a forest of soft corals sprouting from it, while cuttlefish and sea snakes have made it their home. The visibility can be poor and currents strong, but the profusion of marine life around the wreck makes it worthy of investigation, as is Gato’s Cave dive site, where a large hollowed out underground chamber provides a tunnel for divers from one side to the other of the reef. Beyond the cave lies a well-encrusted wall, and amongst the debris lying at its bottom we encountered a startling sight – a tiny harlequin shrimp, resplendent in its orange and white dotted livery, making a meal of a starfish leg at least 10 times bigger than its own body. It looked like he would be there all week.

Boxfish
Boxfish

Moalboal’s Cathedral at Pescador Island boasts another beautiful cave, this one part of a sheer wall where the sea has shaped a sizable vertical chamber within it – we entered at 25 metres and exited through a couple of holes at 10 metres, all the while enjoying the spectacular play of light from above. Dense clouds of brightly coloured reef fish hovered along the wall’s length, while soft corals drooped under their own weight. We also encountered a big sea snake, easily over a metre long and thick bodied, sidewinding across the reef, his evident age a welcome sight that Pescador’s protected status is working.

Clownfish
Clownfish

The quality of the reefs was also remarkable at Apo Island, another marine sanctuary that possessed spectacular viz. On our two morning dives I didn’t spot many critters because I was too busy marveling at the sheer abundance and density of the coral creating a vast carpet over Apo’s gentle slopes. I was so engrossed with gazing at what lay only a couple feet below that I nearly had a head on encounter with a giant trevally, its huge bulk glinting in the early morning sun as it dodged around me and sped off. I didn’t need to worry about my critter count – the afternoon and night dives at Ducomi Pier provided a smorgasbord of small stuff.

Juvenile Batfish
Juvenile Batfish

Ducomi is a classic muck dive, an unprepossessing slope of silt into which the pier’s support pylons have been embedded. The whole area is strewn with trash, but the marine life here is astounding – not only are the pylons covered in soft corals to the point of metal being barely visible, the protective nature of the structure makes it a perfect nursery. I was quite excited when I spotted a batfish with the last vestiges of orange on its wingtips, until I saw a perfect juvenile batfish appear next to it, ink black and fluorescent orange. I’d only seen a juvenile once before, and while skittish, this one was quite happy to circle around the pier’s base debris rather than disappearing completely from the divers. I’d been so fixated on the batfish that I’d missed the seahorse, but our guide promised to find it again on the night dive back at the pier. I was a little skeptical, as seahorses are not the most forthcoming of creatures, but we ended up finding not one but three of them, curled around fronds sticking out from the pier’s pylons, perfectly camouflaged against the mottled growth around it.

Seahorse
Seahorse

The following night’s dive at Balicasag went one better by finding that rarest, smallest and most dangerous of creatures, a blue ringed octopus. Between them Balicasag and Calibao, both located near Bohol island, turned up several surprises, including not one but two yellow leaf fish nestled together in a large clump of staghorn coral and a clutch of electric coloured nudibranches. Indeed, the only drawback of doing a liveaboard through the Visayas is that you quickly realise a day in each of these locations is not enough. However, it also provides an invaluable taster of the region for future exploration and pretty much every diver on the boat uttered the immortal words – “I’ll be back!”

Thanks to ExpeditionFleet.com for inviting me on this trip.

Nudibranch
Nudibranch
Soft Coral
Soft Coral
I Forget The Name Of This One... Pls Let Me Know!
I Forget The Name Of This One... If You Recognise It, Please Let Me Know!


How To Get To Cebu

Cebu City is the main airport in the Visayas. Direct flights are available from Singapore and Hong Kong with Cebu Pacific and other carriers.

Entry requirement
Most countries’ citizens are allowed to stay in the Philippines without a visa for 21 days after arrival. Check http://www.gov.ph/faqs/visa.asp for more info.

Currency
The Filipino Piso is the national currency. $US1 = 48 Philippine Pisos. US Dollars are also widely accepted and prices are often quoted in dollars, although you should always carry Pisos as well. Remember there is a $15 US airport departure tax for international flights, plus a terminal fee of P550. There are similar, smaller taxes charged for domestic flights too.

Electricity
220V. Twin flat blade and also twin round blade plug sockets.

Best time to dive
The dry season for the Visayas is November to May

Climate
Temperatures can rise to 34 degrees in the tropical climate. Wear lots of sunscreen and a hat.

Language
Tagalog is the major Filipino language and English is widely spoken

Philippines Liveaboards Overview

  • Tubbataha Liveaboards
  • Visayas Liveaboards
  • Last Minute Liveaboard Deals
  • Tubbataha Reef: A Quick Guide
  • Tubbataha Reef Diving Podcast
  • Diving the Philippines Guide

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Diving And Travel Insurance

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Start Planning Your Philippines Dive Trip Now!

:: Check the availability and pricing of liveaboards in the Philippines and book online.


:: Find the cheapest flights to the Philippines with Skyscanner - one search will show you the prices and times from scores of airlines for your trip. A real timesaver.


If you need a good transit hotel near Manila airport, try the Marriott or Nichols Hotel. The actual Manila Airport Hotel is very run down and not recommended.


:: Make sure you don't forget to bring any of the essentials for your scuba diving trip with our comprehensive Liveaboard Packing List


:: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world.


:: Find available places to stay in the Philippines on Booking.com - usually you can reserve a room with no upfront payment. Pay when you check out. Free cancellations too.


:: Need inspiration? See our Best Places To Dive In The Philippines for ideas of where to go and what to do.


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My Recent Dive Trips

  • November 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • October 2024: Forgotten Islands and Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • August 2024: Komodo and Saleh Bay liveaboard, Indonesia
  • May 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • April 2024: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • February 2024: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • January 2024:Gangga Island Resort, Indonesia
  • December 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • Mejangan Island, Bali
  • October 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • June 2023: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • April 2023: Maldives liveaboard
  • April 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2023: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2022: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • December 2022: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2022: Komodo liveaboard, Indonesia
  • June 2022: USAT Liberty shipwreck, Bali, Indonesia
  • April 2022: Stonehenge, Koh Lipe, Thailand
  • March 2022: Manta Rays at Koh Bon, Thailand
  • January 2022: Richelieu Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • March 2021: HTMS Chang and Alahambra Rock liveaboard, Thailand
  • February 2020: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • December 2019: Raja Ampat liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2019: Malapascua, Philippines
  • June 2019: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • April 2019: Tulamben, Bali
  • December 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • December 2018: Anilao, Philippines
  • October 2018: Moalboal, Philippines
  • October 2018: Malapascua, Philippines
  • July 2018: Tulamben, Bali
  • May 2018: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • April 2018: Sogod Bay, Philippines

My Less Recent Dive Trips

  • May 2017: Apo Island and Dumaguete, Philippines
  • April 2017: Tubbataha Reef, Philippines
  • April 2017: Sogod Bay, Philippines
  • March 2017: Triton Bay, Indonesia
  • March 2017: Raja Ampat, Indonesia
  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
  • April 2015: Anilao at Crystal Dive Resort
  • March 2015: Myanmar and Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • May 2013: Similan Islands on Thailand Aggressor
  • April 2013: Tubbataha Reef on Discovery Palawan
  • January 2013: Komodo, Indonesia on MSY Damai
  • August 2012: Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia
  • April 2012: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • January 2012: Similan Islands liveaboard, Thailand
  • August 2011: Hanifaru, Maldives
  • June 2011: Tubbataha Liveaboard Hans Christian Andersen
  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

Back In The Day Bragging Rights Dive Trips

  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
  • August 2008: Ocean Rover, Sulawesi Liveaboard
  • August 2008: NAD Lembeh Resort, Indonesia
  • June 2008: Koh Tao
  • March 2008: Maldives, Bandos Island
  • February 2008: MSY Seahorse, Raja Ampat Liveaboard
  • January 2008: MV Jazz, Burma Liveaboard
  • October 2007: Bali Dive Safari
  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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