The Philippines, a former Spanish colony, are an archipelago of 7107 islands located south of China and just north of Malaysia and Indonesia. The islands boast beautiful landscapes and unspoiled beaches with minimal tourism. Diving in the Philippines puts you in a tremendously biologically diverse, marine ecosystem which results from the convergence of several, sizable bodies of water such as the South China Sea, the Celebes Sea and the Pacific Ocean. There are more than 3000 species of fish and 450 species of coral and world class diving sites with dramatic walls, coral gardens and historical wrecks. The three main island groups are Luzon (with the capital, Manila), the central island groups of the Visayas comprising thousands of islands and Mindanao in the south.

Seemingly endless visability, enormous pelagics and profuse corals draw divers annually to Tubbataha Reefs.  Accessible by live-aboard during the months of March, April May and June, Tubbataha is one of those rare and special places.  Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993, big stuff like sharks, dolphins and mantas can be seen here along with huge schools of jacks, tuna and barracuda.  Small life is plentiful for those into macro photography.

Puerto Galera and Dumaguete offer land based dive packages.