- Open Water course
- ₱26,000
- Water temperature
- 24–30°C
Updated July 2026
Good to know
Good to Know
- Diving here is boat-based day-tripping, not a liveaboard destination — you stay at a shore resort and take short bangka rides (often under 20-30 minutes) out to sites each day, so you don't need to book a liveaboard to dive Anilao properly.
- A handful of resorts (e.g. Blue Ribbon, Dive & Trek, Aquaventure/Anilao Bo Hotel) have genuine house-reef shore diving, but this is the exception — most sites here are boat-only, so don't assume every resort offers walk-in shore access.
- Night diving is treated as close to essential rather than optional in Anilao — many of the signature muck/macro critters (mimic octopus, blue-ringed octopus, cephalopods) are most active after dark.
- Water can get noticeably cool (around 24-26°C) from roughly November through April, especially January-February — pack or rent at least a 5mm wetsuit if diving in that window.
- There is genuinely only one true shipwreck-style dive in the immediate Anilao area (a sunken 1970s barge/floating resort at ~35m); most other 'wreck' mentions are small sunken objects like a car or old helicopter rather than a ship.
- If you want bigger wall diving and stronger drift/pelagic action, Verde Island is a worthwhile day trip from Anilao, but it involves a longer boat transfer and current-timed (slack-tide) diving, unlike the calmer, closer-in Anilao sites.
- Anilao course prices are almost always quoted as all-inclusive resort packages (room, meals, tanks, boat, conservation fee) rather than a bare tuition fee, so compare total package cost, not just the listed 'course fee'.
- Group size affects per-person course pricing meaningfully — doing an Open Water or Advanced course with a second or third person can lower the per-person rate noticeably at some resorts.
- A separate daily dive conservation/environmental fee is charged on top of course costs and is paid locally per municipality (Mabini and Tingloy each collect their own fee since a 2026 change ended the old unified dive pass).
- If freediving interests you, look specifically for resorts or instructors advertising it (e.g. Dive Solana Resort or the Apnea Philippines freediving group) — don't assume every Anilao scuba shop offers it, as most are scuba-only.
Dive Sites And Conditions
Named Sites
Sombrero Island
- Type
- wall / slope
- Best Season
- Amihan dry season (Nov-May) for calmer conditions; site is exposed so currents can be strong regardless of season
- Depth Range M
- 5-30
- Marine Life Highlights
- Named after its hat-like shape, Sombrero Island offers divers a beautiful topography of walls and slopes with depths ranging from 5 to 25 meters, rich in soft and hard corals and home to turtles, reef sharks, and a variety of tropical fish. A shallow wall down to 30m here is home to turtles, rays, trevally, snapper, with occasional blue-ringed octopus sightings, though currents can be quite strong due to its exposed location.
- Notes
- One of the most-cited wide-angle/coral sites in Anilao; accessed by day boat from Anilao.
Kirby's Rock
- Type
- seamount / vertical wall
- Best Season
- April-May for peak pelagic activity; can be diveable only on calmer days when exposed
- Depth Range M
- 3-35 (varies by source)
- Marine Life Highlights
- Kirby's Rock is described as a seamount rising from 30 metres to just 3 metres below the surface, with strong seasonal currents sweeping nutrients past the wall that draw schooling jacks, giant trevally, and occasional thresher sharks at depth, with shallower stations blanketed in black coral trees, sea fans, and nudibranch colonies.
- Notes
- Considered one of Anilao's most celebrated sites; suited to more advanced divers due to potential strong current. Marine life activity is said to peak in April and May with regular pelagic sightings here.
Twin Rocks
- Type
- twin pinnacles / reef
- Best Season
- Year-round; a favorite wide-angle site
- Depth Range M
- 8-22
- Marine Life Highlights
- Two submerged pinnacles sitting side by side make Twin Rocks one of Anilao's most beginner-friendly sites, with shallow shelves at 8 metres and coral coverage among the healthiest in the area, hosting large schools of anthias and a resident hawksbill turtle. The nutrient-rich Verde Passage waters bring schools of jacks and barracuda, with anemones, clownfish, and blue ribbon eels also found on the pinnacles.
- Notes
- Takes 45-60 minutes to reach depending on resort location, but is one of the more popular pairings with Cathedral.
Cathedral (Cathedral Rock)
- Type
- coral-covered rock formation
- Best Season
- Year-round; calm, easy site
- Depth Range M
- ~18
- Marine Life Highlights
- The seabed of Cathedral, at around 18 metres, is littered with coral-coated rocks, with two larger rocks between which a stone cross was placed decades ago and is now beautifully encrusted in coral. Coral was originally transplanted here onto a barren rock formation and has since flourished into a site with colourful hard and soft corals and plenty of marine life.
- Notes
- An easy, often-final dive for Open Water certification students; frequently paired with nearby Twin Rocks.
Secret Bay (Mainit Muck)
- Type
- muck (black volcanic sand/rubble)
- Best Season
- Year-round, especially good for night diving; unaffected by the reduced visibility of cooler shoulder months
- Depth Range M
- shallow (typically under 15m)
- Marine Life Highlights
- Secret Bay is one of the world's best muck sites, perfect for night dives, where macro photographers can capture rare critters such as blue-ringed octopus, mimic octopus, and flamboyant cuttlefish, alongside mantis shrimp, gobies, and wonderpus octopus. Visibility rarely tops 5 metres over the black volcanic sand and rubble bottom, which is exactly what makes it a great muck site.
- Notes
- Widely cited as one of the two signature macro/muck sites in Anilao alongside Anilao Pier.
Beatrice Rock
- Type
- mixed coral/sandy
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- 10-25
- Marine Life Highlights
- Beatrice Rock offers a mix of coral formations and sandy areas with depths ranging from 10 to 25 meters, and is cited as one of the favorite wide-angle sites in the area alongside Twin Rocks.
Koala ("Critter Capital")
- Type
- sandy slope / rubble, coral reef mix
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- not specified in detail
- Marine Life Highlights
- Koala is a sandy slope with scattered rubble where underwater photographers can find wonderpus, harlequin shrimp, and rhinopias, offering a rich mix of coral reef and sandy-muck habitats in one compact area.
- Notes
- Popular with underwater photographers and marine life enthusiasts specifically for critter density.
Anilao Pier
- Type
- muck / night dive site
- Best Season
- Year-round; best as a night dive
- Depth Range M
- shallow
- Marine Life Highlights
- Anilao Pier is known for muck dives and macro critters, with hairy frogfish and mimic octopus often seen here, and is frequently cited as one of the two best macro sites in Anilao alongside Secret Bay.
- Notes
- Best done as a night dive per multiple operator guides.
Dive & Trek
- Type
- reef
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- not specified
- Marine Life Highlights
- Dive & Trek is one of Anilao's best shark dives, with whitetip reef sharks, eagle rays, and schools of jacks present.
- Notes
- Named after the era when operators paired the dive with a jungle trek; also has a shore-accessible house reef used by some resorts.
Sepok Wall / Sepok Point
- Type
- deep wall / drop-off
- Best Season
- Calmer Amihan months preferred given depth and exposure
- Depth Range M
- up to 40
- Marine Life Highlights
- Sepok Wall is an unusual dive for Anilao with stunning deep-wall scenery — gorgonian sea fans and black coral trees adorn the wall to 40m, with occasional sharks swimming by. Nearby Sepok Point, on the western-most tip of Maricaban Island, is a drop-off with plenty of smaller life.
- Notes
- One of the deeper, more wall-oriented sites in an area otherwise dominated by muck and reef slopes.
Mapating Rock
- Type
- submerged rock / current-swept pinnacle
- Best Season
- Calm-water windows only; current-dependent
- Depth Range M
- not specified in detail
- Marine Life Highlights
- Mapating Rock receives strong current and is only suitable for experienced divers, but rewards with plenty of pelagic action and has a cave where whitetip reef sharks sleep.
- Notes
- Listed among the most famous Anilao sites alongside Sombrero, Maricaban Island, and Cathedral.
Ligpo Pinnacle
- Type
- wall
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- 12-35
- Marine Life Highlights
- Located just off Ligpo Island, Ligpo Pinnacle is protected by the Bauwan Marine Sanctuary and is a great wall dive with depths of 12 to 35 meters, reached about 20 minutes from Anilao Pier by traditional boat.
Aphol's
- Type
- mixed terrain reef
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- not specified
- Marine Life Highlights
- Aphol's is known for its diverse underwater terrain and rich marine life, offering a rewarding experience for both recreational and experienced divers.
Layag-Layag
- Type
- sandy slope / coral patches
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- not specified
- Marine Life Highlights
- Layag-Layag is especially popular for its combination of sandy slopes, coral patches, and excellent macro life, making it a favorite among underwater photographers.
Bajoura, Kirby's Reef & Layanglang (Caban Island Tip)
- Type
- reef / current-swept sites
- Best Season
- Year-round, current-dependent
- Depth Range M
- not specified
- Marine Life Highlights
- Just off the tip of Caban Island are a few excellent dive sites — Bajoura, Kirby's Reef, and Layanglang — which all normally have good visibility and plentiful marine life, but often strong currents.
- Notes
- Grouped together as a cluster off Caban Island.
Ligaya's Garden
- Type
- gentle reef slope
- Best Season
- Year-round; remains accessible even during southwest monsoon swell
- Depth Range M
- ~14
- Marine Life Highlights
- Ligaya's Garden is a gentle reef slope ideally suited to Open Water students and casual snorkellers, with water temperatures averaging 28°C, a depth plateau at 14 metres, and coral bommies sheltering a remarkable density of juvenile reef fish.
- Notes
- Used by at least one local resort as its confined/training dive site; one of the more sheltered sites even in rougher weather.
Wreck Sites Near Aquaventure / Anilao Bo Hotel House Reef
- Type
- wreck + house reef muck
- Best Season
- Year-round
- Depth Range M
- up to 35
- Marine Life Highlights
- The house reef right in front of Anilao Bo Hotel is a great macro dive spot with no current, while nearby a sunken barge-turned-1970s floating resort — considered the only real wreck dive in Anilao — sits at 35 metres with a huge amount of fish living inside, plus two smaller sunken objects (an SUV and an old helicopter) closer to shore.
- Notes
- This is the only site described in the research as a genuine wreck dive in the Anilao area; most other 'wrecks' locally are small sunken objects rather than a shipwreck.
Verde Island (Day-trip Site, Not Shore-adjacent)
- Type
- wall / drift
- Best Season
- Best dived at slack tide due to strong, sometimes vertical currents; day trips run from Anilao
- Depth Range M
- not fully specified; wall to depth with strong vertical currents
- Marine Life Highlights
- Verde Island's most popular site is a superb wall dive with huge corals of every hue clinging to the wall and prolific reef life; currents at Verde Island are very strong and can run vertically, so it's best dived at slack tide, and the area is known for great macro life, marine diversity, schooling fish and big pelagics.
- Notes
- This is a genuine day-trip/boat-transfer site across the Verde Island Passage rather than a short local hop — included here because it's a commonly combined day excursion from Anilao, but it is materially further than the core Anilao sites and current-dependent.
Access Summary
- Details
- Diving in Anilao is typically boat-based, with most dive sites located just minutes from shore, reached by traditional outrigger bangka boats rather than a liveaboard. Some resorts do offer genuine house-reef shore diving (e.g. Blue Ribbon and Dive & Trek have a shore-accessible house reef), but this is described as the exception rather than the rule — one long-time regional guide notes Anilao 'can be a bit more difficult to shore dive' compared to somewhere like Puerto Galera. Most dive centers run bangka boats and it's standard to do two dives in the morning, two in the afternoon, and a night dive. Anilao is reachable overland from Manila in roughly 2.5–3 hours, so no flights or extended liveaboard transfers are required to dive it, though some operators do combine it into multi-stop Philippines liveaboard itineraries covering Coron and Apo Reef as well.
- Predominant Mode
- Day boat
- Liveaboard Dependent
- No
- Shore Diving Available
- Yes
Seasonality Overview
- Dry Season Amihan
- November to May is the main diving season, with flat, calm seas and the best visibility of the year. Many operators cite February to May, or more specifically late March to mid-May, as the best overall window, with April–May also being the most crowded/booked months at resorts.
- Water Temperature
- Water temperature ranges roughly from 24–26°C in the cooler months up to 28–30°C by April–June.
- Wet Season Habagat
- June/July through October is the wet, typhoon-prone season with reduced visibility from freshwater runoff, but many sites remain diveable and protected sites stay accessible even during southwest monsoon swell; some operators still run trips year-round.
- Cooler Shoulder Months
- January and February bring slightly cooler water (around 24–26°C, sometimes requiring a 5mm wetsuit) and more variable visibility, but are still considered good for muck diving since low-visibility sites like Secret Bay are largely unaffected.
Typical Course Pricing
Discover Scuba Diving (try-dive, 3-4h, no certification)
- Price
- ₱4,150
Open Water Diver (3-4 days, solo rate)
- Price
- ₱26,000
- Group Discount Note
- Drops to roughly PHP 23,000 (~USD 393) per person for 2 people and PHP 22,000 (~USD 376) per person for 3+, at this particular resort.
Advanced Open Water Diver (2-3 days, solo rate)
- Price
- ₱23,000
Rescue Diver + EFR (4 days, solo rate)
- Price
- ₱30,000
Divemaster course (approx. 3 weeks)
- Price
- ₱44,500
Specialty course, 2 dives (e.g. Drift, PPB)
- Price
- ₱8,500
Enriched Air (Nitrox) Diver specialty
- Price
- ₱14,200
Certifying Bodies And Levels
- Primary Body
- PADI (by far the dominant agency in Anilao)
- Secondary Body
- SSI (offered by a smaller number of shops)
- Notes
- Several PADI 5-Star Dive Centers in the area (e.g. Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort) explicitly advertise the full range from Discover Scuba Diving through Divemaster, and dedicated dive resorts run full agency progressions on-site rather than only offering isolated single courses.
Levels Commonly Offered
- Discover Scuba Diving (intro/try-dive)
- Open Water Diver
- Advanced Open Water Diver
- Rescue Diver + Emergency First Response (EFR)
- Divemaster
- Various specialty courses (Enriched Air/Nitrox, Drift, Navigation, Night Diver, Peak Performance Buoyancy, etc.)
Operator Density
- Summary
- Anilao/Mabini has a genuinely dense concentration of dive operators — this is one of the most operator-dense dive destinations in the Philippines, not a one-or-two-shop scene.
- Context
- PADI alone lists multiple dive shops and dive resorts under its "Mabini & Batangas" directory, and resort-review/travel-guide sources independently name a comparable but only partly-overlapping set of dive resorts scattered along the Mabini coastline, indicating a genuinely large total pool of operators rather than the same handful being repeatedly cited.
Named Operators Identified
- 200bar Dive Shop
- Buceo Anilao Beach & Dive Resort
- Aiyanar Beach & Dive Resort
- Casa Bahia Dive Resort
- Dive Solana Resort
- Vivere Azure
- Anilao Diving and Resorts
- Kesam Diving Shop
Pricing Context
These figures come from a single resort-based operator and typically bundle room, meals, tanks, boat fees, and the dive conservation pass — full-service dive resorts quote all-inclusive package prices rather than a bare course fee. Manila-based shops running weekend Anilao trips quote separate day-package add-ons in the roughly PHP 9,000-13,000 (~USD 154-222) range for room/meals/tanks on top of the course itself. International tour-booking platforms have also been seen listing an Advanced Open Water package from around USD 450, which is a bundled, foreigner-facing rate rather than a locally-quoted PHP price.
Freediving Crossover
- Caveat
- Freediving here is offered by a dedicated freediving specialist and by a minority of scuba resorts, not by the majority of Anilao's core scuba-focused dive shops — most Anilao operators are scuba-only.
- Details
- Freediving crossover in Anilao is real, not assumed: a dedicated freediving group (Apnea Philippines) runs open-water freediving line training sessions (including finning, duck dive, safety and rescue skills) directly in Anilao, and at least one boutique dive resort (Dive Solana Resort) explicitly advertises both scuba and freediving packages side by side. Separately, freediving-specific guides note that Anilao's shallow (roughly 5-15m) macro-rich sites are considered well-suited to freedivers observing critters without deep descents, which is the same shallow muck/macro terrain scuba divers come here for.
- Genuine Crossover Confirmed
- Yes
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
This section has no cited sources.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.