Diving Philippines
Diving in the Philippines offers spectacular drop-offs, deep dives, caves, wrecks, and a richly varied marine life. The variety of hard and soft corals is amazing with more than 500 species. You can commonly see sharks, rays, moray eels, octopus, and sea snakes, along with innumerable species of fish, including groupers, jack, tuna, surgeonfish, parrot fish, sweetlips and lionfish, to name a few. Of the 100,000 known species of shellfish, over 21,000 are found here, including many that are unique to the Philippines. The Philippines is a diver’s paradise!
Best time to dive
The best diving conditions can be from April to September.
Visibility
Visibility ranges from 30 to 100 feet.
Water temperatures
Water temperatures are 80 to 88 °F all the year round.
Weather and climate
The Philippines is hot and humid year-round. The weather pattern across the archipelago is complex, but can be roughly divided into the dry season (September to May) and the wet season (June to September). The average annual temperature is 77 °F.
Language
Pilipino (Tagalog) and English plus numerous widely spoken indigenous languages and some Spanish
Passport/Visa requirements
Everyone entering the Philippines must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the intended period of stay. If there is an embassy of country of nationality in the Philippines, then entry is allowed if passport is valid for less than six months. All visitors must have return or onward tickets and documents necessary for further travel, as well as sufficient funds. A visa is not required for a stay of up to 21 days, but is obligatory for longer stays. Visas allow for a stay of up to 59 days.
Currency
Philippines Peso – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
220 volts AC, 60 Hz
Capital
Manila
General information
The Philippines consists of 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean, only 2,000 of which are inhabited. Luzon and Mindanao are the largest, and comprise roughly 66% of the country’s area. The archipelago has a volcanic topography and experiences frequent seismic activity. There are 37 volcanoes in the archipelago and the highest peak is Mt. Apo at 9,689 feet in Mindanao.
Most of the Philippines are laidback, stable, and relatively safe. The locals are mostly friendly and helpful. Transportation is cheap, the food is good, and accommodations are plentiful.
Map
Get a map of the Philippines from WorldAtlas.com.