Negros Island is a large island in the Visayas. It’s eastern shore is separated from Cebu by a narrow channel, while it’s west coast faces the Sulu Sea. Much of the diving is in the south of the island.
Like many of the Philippines dive spots, it is blessed with the combination of big fish encounters and fascinating smaller critters that will keep avid divers happy for many dives.
Negros’ most famous dive sites are the incredible critter dives of the Dauin sanctuary south of Dumaguete, and those around Apo Island.
Highlights
Best diving spots
There are a number of dive sites on Apo Island. The Sanctuary, sometimes known as Clownfish City is one of the most popular sites, with wonderful reefs and resident green turtles in different to the prescence of divers. Coconut Point is a series of stepped terraces with large schools of Trevally & Barracuda.
Reef sharks can sometimes be seen at Coconut Point, but the best spot for larger visitors is Mansa Point. In addition to plentiful schools of fish, larger marine life can often be seen here.
On Negros itself, there is some outstanding critter dives around Dauin - a small town south of Dumaguete. On the Dauin's sandy slopes it is possible to find numerous species of Seahorses, Ghost Pipefish, Frogfish, Pegasus Sea Moths, Stonefish, Flambouyant Cuttlefish and many more critters. The region has come to rival Indonesia's Lembeh Strait in recent years as its reputation grows. For those not taken by the muck-diving bug, the Dauin Sanctuary have more traditional coral reefs to explore.
It is also possible to dive around Sipalay on the west coast of Negros, which has many good dive sites just a few minutes from shore. There is a couple of nice WWII wrecks, good wall diving and an enjoyable house reef to explore.
When to dive
This area can be dived year-round, with different species found in the Dauin Sanctuary at certain times of year. The best months for weather are November to May.
Getting there
Dumaguete has a domestic airport which has regular flights to & from Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Once in Dumaguete, most of the resorts are no more than 30 minutes drive away and you may be able to arrange a transfer from the airport with a dive centre. It is also possible to reach the area from Cebu either by taxi, bus or boat.
Sipalay can also be reached from Dumaguate or Bacolod.
Activities
Aside from diving, there is quite a lot to do on the island of Negros. The bustling town of Dumaguete, the city of friendly people is very clean and has good shopping. In the surrounding area there are hot springs, jungle treks, lakes, waterfalls, pretty villages & even a golf course to enjoy. One of the most popular tours is to see Dolphins which can often be seen in the surrounding waters.
Resort and liveaboard options
There are many resort options along the coast south of Dumaguate giving easy access to the Dauin Marine Sancutary and Apo Island, with a couple of resorts in Sipalay also. Due to the convenient location of the resorts, shore diving is often on offer, with short dive trips to local Dauin dive sites, and longer trips to Apo Island or Sumilon.
The Dumaguete region often features on itineraries of liveaboards sailing the Visayas region, with six or seven night itineraries generally offered from Cebu City.
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These difficult to reach dive sites are now beginning to open up to divers - and the intrepid travelers who make it this far will not be disappointed.
Choosing the right dive spot
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Cebu
Cebu is the most accessible island in the Visayas, and home to some wonderful scuba diving.
Diving Malapascua is a thrill for more advanced divers due to regular sightings of Thresher Sharks. Oslob, to the south of Cebu City is famous for whale sharks, while you can dive on beautiful coral reefs in Moalboal or Mactan Island.
This is a great area for island-hopping, combining well with Bohol and Negros Islands.
Togian Islands
The remote Togian Islands lie in the middle of Tomini Bay in central Sulawesi. While difficult to reach, the islands offer great conditions for scuba-diving all year round.
Protected on almost all sides by the tentacle-like arms of Sulawesi, this large bay is reputably the calmest in the world.
Tufi
The Tufi region of PNG is without doubt one of its most beautiful. Situated on the northern coast of the mainland, the area has numerous stunning fjords, stretching like huge fingers from the mainland to the sea.
The calm waters of the fjords are home to incredible macro life, and also some wrecks, while many outward facing sites have world class reefs and a wide array of large pelagics to admire.
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