Visayas

The Center of Gravity

Visayas is the central island group in the Philippines. You’ll find some of the country’s most popular destinations here: Cebu, Dumaguete, and Bohol. There’s a fun variety of coral reefs, and the region is quite famous for whale shark encounters.

Best Time to Travel: Dec – April. Diving: Boat and Shore Diving. Unique Marine Life: Whale Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Sardine Bait Balls, Tuna, Yellowfin, Sea Snakes, Razor Fish, Fusiliers, Rainbow Runners, Mandarin Fish. Level: All. Sea Temps: Average 84°F. Air Temps: Average 84°F. Accommodations: Land-Based Resort. Other Adventures: Volcanos, Architecture Tours, Waterfalls, Temples.

Diving

Resorts

Adventures

Scuba Diving in Visayas

It’s tough to knock out all 3 destinations on a single trip, but most of our divers will go to Cebu and Dumaguete, or Cebu and Bohol.

Cebu
Moalboal — a 90-minute drive from Cebu City — is the diving hotspot. There’s long, beautiful walls offshore with caves, swim-throughs, dazzling gorgonians, and healthy hard coral on the top of the reef. Most excitingly, Moalboal gets huge sardine bait balls that attract all sorts of pelagic fish and sharks.

Dumaguete
Dumaguete, with current-struck seamounts, has tougher drift diving but also scores of pelagic animals like yellowfins, jacks, barracuda, and tuna. Most dive resorts offer excursions to see the whale sharks at Oslob.

Bohol
Bohol also gets stronger currents (which sometimes draw schooling hammerheads and manta rays). But there’s also really great critter diving, with numerous sea stars, turtles, nudibranchs, ribbon eels, and garden eels.

You will enjoy Visayas…

If You’re Seeking Pelagic Encounters
Big fish and shark encounters — especially whale sharks — are a major draw for scuba divers.

If You Enjoy Drift Diving
Cebu is pretty calm, but Dumaguete and Bohol get tougher currents. At Dumaguete, some dive sites are exposed to down currents, so it’s best to have a few drift dives under your belt before booking your trip.

If You’re Looking for Variety
When you combine one or more destinations at Visayas, you’ll have a really nice variety of marine habitats and diving styles: drift diving, calm coral reefs, critter diving, big pelagics, whale sharks, walls, and seamounts. Never gets repetitive.

Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete

Just a twenty-minute drive from the local airport (just a sixty-minute flight from Manila), on a long peaceful stretch of beach, lies the lush and luxurious Atlantis Dive Resort. Surrounded by an amazing tropical garden with some of the rarest plants to be found in the Philippines it is just a short trip to some of the most renowned dive sites in Asia – Apo Island, Balicasag reef and of course the local Dauin Marine Sanctuaries.

Standard Package Includes:

• 7 Nights Deluxe Room Accommodations
• Hotel Taxes
• R/T Transfers
• Full Board Meals (Drinks w/ Breakfast Only)
• 6 Days Unlimited Diving

Magic Island Dive Resort

Magic Island is an intimate getaway, with 10 beautiful cottages just steps away from the water, and a swimming pool, restaurant, and bar. Enjoy high-speed internet, air conditioning, and a shady bluff where you can take in the ocean and sunset views. The restaurant serves both western and local cuisine, and can make dietary accommodations.

Magic Island uses graceful bangka dive boats which are sturdy and quiet, and the friendly staff is ready to show you Moalboal’s incredible sardine bait balls and coral reefs. The resort can also arrange a day trip to Oslob for whale shark snorkeling.

Standard Package Includes:

• 7 Night Accommodations in Superior Deluxe Cottages
• R/T Airport Transfers
• 7 Days Full Board
• 5 Days Unlimited Boat Diving

Magic Oceans Dive Resort

Looking for a quiet, off-the-grid getaway? Book one of 16 air-conditioned bungalows at Magic Oceans Dive Resort in Bohol. Book a spa treatment at Mahika Spa, a Japanese garden-style spa facility that will refresh your body and mind.

Ready to go diving with sea turtles, pygmy seahorses, and mandarinfish? Magic Oceans’ in-house dive operator is ready to show you the magic of the Coral Triangle. You can also book day trips to explore Bohol’s famous Chocolate Hills and tarsier sanctuary.

Standard Package Includes:

• R/T Transfers from Bohol airport
• 7 nights stay Superior Deluxe cottage with aircon
• 7 days full board
• 5 days of unlimited diving

On the topside, most of the fun happens in Cebu City, but your dive resorts will offer excursions to the surrounding areas. This is a pretty good destination for non-divers

• Hike to the Kawasan Falls
• Snorkel with Whale Sharks at Oslob
• Check Out the Views at Tops Lookout
• Visit the Historic Basilica del Santo Niño
• Visit the Taoist Temple
• Explore Fort San Pedro
• Taste Local Cuisine at Sugbo Mercado

Philippines Aggressor

Philippines Aggressor cruises the Visayas region, known for muck diving, coral-covered walls, and one of the most biodiverse reef systems on Earth. The yacht’s compact size means more time exploring hard-to-reach sites and less time in transit.

Whether you’re chasing macro life through the sand or drifting a current-swept wall, the itinerary is built around the Philippines’ reputation as a photographer’s paradise.

Philippines Aggressor III

Philippines Aggressor III explores the same rich waters with a slightly larger, more amenity-focused build — deluxe staterooms, a spacious dive deck, and a dedicated camera setup area.

It’s a solid choice for divers who want the muck-diving and reef variety of the Philippines with a bit more room to stretch out between dives.