Tatlong Pulo Archipelago, Harka Piloto and Anaganahao Island

Scuba the islands of Calapan

Calapan’s islands boast a breathtaking underwater array, with complex reef structures rich in diverse marine life

Background image © Aristedes Leuterio
01.

Oriental Mindoro's newest dive destination

Welcome to the enchanting islands of Calapan, home to the scenic Tatlong Pulo Archipelago, Harka Piloto, and Anaganahao Island — Situated in the heart of the Verde Island Passage, these islands are the freshest additions to Oriental Mindoro’s diving repertoire. Their relatively undiscovered status affords a sense of exclusivity and tranquility, making them an ideal haven for adventure seekers who wish to avoid the usual crowds.

The region offers a variety of diving experiences, from muck to night diving, all set against a backdrop of vast boulder corals, expansive sea fans, and intriguing mini-walls — With dive sites that cater to every level of expertise, from novices seeking a serene spot to learn, to seasoned divers in quest of adventure, the islands of Calapan deliver an exceptional diversity of underwater encounters.

© Ram Yoro at Harka Piloto

02.

Discover the best dive sites in the islands of Calapan

Imminent Launch: Calapan is on the brink of introducing its magnificent diving locations to the world. Currently, we’re collaborating with local government, Calapan City Tourism, and the City Fisheries Management Office to chart and detail these promising sites. Our dive site guide map offers an essential look into the underwater havens we’ve already explored, and those we’re still exploring.

Stay Alert for Updates: Anticipate the grand unveiling of Calapan’s diving spots, poised to become the next big thing in the diving community. Watch this space for upcoming details.

Contribute to the Discovery: Join the mission to uncover the marvels of Calapan’s underwater realms. If you’ve had the chance to dive here, your stories and findings are invaluable. Share your adventures and help enrich our understanding of these nascent dive sites.

Aganahao Reef

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The depth of the diving site varies from 5 meters to 22 meters.

🦈 🐠 Marine Life: The reef is adorned with an array of fans and whip corals that cascade over numerous coral heads. As divers delve deeper, they will encounter scattered soft corals nestled within sandy areas, gradually transitioning into a gentle slope that is perfectly suited for spotting macro species. The site is a haven for various nudibranchs and other macro species, such as the dragon nudibranch, flatworm, squat shrimp, crinoid shrimp, whip gobby, sky blue phyllidia, chromodoris, nembotha, and blue velvet slug.

🪸 🌊 Features: The reef structure is intricate and rugged, showcasing massive boulder corals, sea fans, and a field of wire corals. The site’s extensive span from the island to the mainland enhances its magnificence. It caters to divers of all skill levels, accommodating beginners and experts alike. The site offers a diverse array of diving experiences, including macro species exploration, great muck diving and night diving, set against a complex reef structure with distinctive geographical features.

Angie's Garden

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site offers depths from 6 to 20 meters, with a shallow starting point and a gentle slope that descends to around 20 meters.

🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The underwater world features a diverse marine life including red-spotted grouper, clouded moray eels, damsel fish, anthias, surgeon fish, moorish idol and squid. Reef fish like triggerfish and small reef species are abundant. Larger species observed include groupers, snapper, parrotfish, sweetlips, & grey reef sharks.

🪸 🌊 Features: Angie’s Garden offers a captivating experience for both novice and advanced divers. The underwater landscape includes a rocky cove with a thriving reef covered in diverse hard and soft corals. As you descend, the reef remains rich in marine life. The site features sandy areas, scattered rubble, and patches of hard coral, showcasing different underwater ecosystems on the same site. The highlight is a fascinating mini-wall about 10-15 meters wide and 5 meters high, providing a stunning visual finale to your dive. The site is known for its shallow coral dive, varied fish species, and the opportunity to appreciate the reef’s beauty during a swim back towards the shallower starting point.

Chico's steps

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site ranges from 5 to 25 meters in depth. The reef slopes gently from 12 meters down to approximately 25–30 meters.

🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The area is teeming with marine life including anthias, butterflyfish, surgeonfish, and red-tooth triggerfish, creating an aquarium-like experience. There are also schools of jacks and other pelagic species, offering diverse underwater encounters. The site offers a good shallow dive for coral enthusiasts and provides opportunities for encountering pelagic fish species like jacks, wahoo & skipjacks at lower depths.

🪸 🌊 Features: Chico’s Step stretches from shallow waters to around 25 meters deep. The reef is characterized by rich hard and soft corals, including large Acropora,  tabular corals and large barrel sponges. The site features a rough, uneven surface creating a diverse underwater landscape. Swift currents are present near the point, making it a good drift dive. Chico’s Step is suitable for entry-level courses, novice, and advanced divers.

Chico's Wall

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The dive site offers depths ranging from 5 to 30 meters. The wall starts from the surface and descends vertically to 22 meters, gradually inclining to around 45 meters on the far Eastern side.

🦈 🐠 Wildlife: Marine life includes a variety of nudibranchs, schools of fusiliers, mid-sized snapper, blackfish, surgeonfish, and colorful anthias. Macro species like Picachu Nudibranch, coral crab, and Chromodoris can also be found. Divers may encounter schools of jacks, grouper, snappers, and other pelagic fish as they pass by.

🪸 🌊 Features: Divers can start their descent within a rocky cove and explore the magnificent wall. The wall features huge barrel sponges, fan corals, whip corals, and mini canyons covered with diverse hard and soft corals. The site offers a stunning wall dive experience, starting in the shallows and descending steeply to over 50 meters. The wall’s shallow caverns, and ridges add to the exploration. The site is rich in reef features, caves, and canyons, making it suitable for divers of all levels.

Coral Garden 1

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Coral Garden 2

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Isla Grande Reef

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Kamasuhan Twin Wall

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Lambingan Coral Garden

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

MPA Dive Site

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Nico's Boulders

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The diving location begins at a shallow depth of approximately 5 meters and gradually descends to around 9 meters.

🦈 🐠 Marine Life: This site boasts an array of macro species including nudibranchs, sea slugs, octopuses, and hermit crabs. As you venture into deeper regions, you’ll come across butterflyfish, damselfish, anthias, lionfish, and occasionally schools of emperor and jacks. Noteworthy macro species encompass the mantis shrimp, coral crab, hermit crab, coral shrimp, and coconut octopus.

🪸 🌊 Features: Being a protected site, it offers tranquil conditions. The shallower sections showcase robust coral formations, while deeper areas reveal boulders adorned with both hard and soft corals, resulting in a diverse underwater landscape. The site is recognised for its wide variety of coral types and clear water, rendering it suitable for both snorkelling and diving activities. It’s an excellent location for Discover Scuba Diving (DSD), entry-level courses, and muck diving.

Pulse Coral Garden

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Help reveal the secrets of Calapan’s aquatic wonderland, the rising star of scuba diving destinations! 🌟 — If you’ve taken the plunge and explored this gem of a dive site, don’t keep it to yourself! Share your underwater tales with us and help us fully document the experience – we’re all ears!

📩 Drop us a line at visit@divemindoro.org and let your underwater escapade inspire fellow divers.

Richard's Point

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: Depth ranges from shallow to about 20m

🦈 🐠 Wildlife: The reef features a variety of common reef fish such as Damsels, Anthias, Parrotfish, and Red-toothed Triggerfish. The underwater ecosystem includes healthy coral formations with abundant Barrel Sponges and fan corals.

🪸 🌊 Features: The C shape patch reef is situated in the eastern part, approximately 400m away from Pulong Gitna. The reef’s shape provides some shelter from mild to strong currents, and divers can seek refuge in the mini canyon formation as they descend. The bottom contour gradually slopes towards sandy and rubble areas at around 20m depth.

Sea Fan Alley

Coming soon: The city of Calapan will shortly be opening diving around the spectacular islands surrounding the city. Stay tuned for more info…

🤿 🫧 Depths: The site ranges from 5 to 45 meters.

🦈 🐠 Marine Life: Divers are treated to a captivating array of marine life, including sea fans in an array of colours, butterflyfish, dark angelfish, surgeonfish, sergeant fish, fusiliers, damselfish, clouded moray eels, scorpionfish, and anemonefish. As the current gains strength, medium-sized fish such as snapper and sea bream emerge for hunting. Deeper along the wall, sightings of emperor fish and jacks are common.

🪸 🌊 Features: The dive site is characterised by an extensive wall, spanning approximately 200 meters in length. This wall seamlessly extends into the Abyss and presents a steep slope that descends beyond 25 meters. Starting at a depth of 20 meters, sizeable sea fans and barrel sponges come into view. The site boasts a diverse array of coral species, encompassing hard, soft, gorgonian corals, and abundant wire coral is also present Throughout the dive, divers can explore a complex reef and enjoy a leisurely safety stop in the shallower waters. This site caters to both novice and advanced divers alike.

Harka Piloto Island

Harka Piloto Island

Pulong Malaki Island

Tatlong Pulo Archipelago

Pulong Gitna Island

Tatlong Pulo Archipelago

Pulong Maliit Island

Tatlong Pulo Archipelago

Anaganahao Island

Anaganahao Island

Calapan Port

Calapan City

[Watch] Inaugural dive exploration — Calapan Dive Invitational

In early 2023, we embarked on an extraordinary adventure alongside the City of Calapan, unveiling the ‘Calapan Dive Invitational’. This exclusive event gathered the crème de la crème of the Philippines’ underwater photographers for a thrilling multi-day dive into the heart of the Calapan Islands. Join us as we delve into the inaugural exploration of these vibrant waters, with the renowned Ram Yoro, PJ Aristorenas, Avic Maramot and Penn De Los Santos. Witness their reaction to this breathtaking location that solidifies Calapan’s status as a premier scuba diving destination. Dive in and be part of this underwater odyssey!

Credit: Soar 8 Productions

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Background image © PJ Aristorenas

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