Reef
down to 20 m
Helicopter Island (Dilumacad)
Coral gardens and sand at 5-20 m where all seven Bacuit Bay anemonefish species live and green and hawksbill turtles are a highlight.
- Open Water
- Turtles
El Nido
Diving in Philippines
11 documented dive sites, 2 of them for Open Water divers. Known for turtles, stingrays and barracuda.
- Best months
- Nov–May
- Water
- 24–30 °C
- Levels
- Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
- Nearest airport
- ENI
When to go
Pick a month: the diving season, from published sources, and the typical weather.
Pick a month
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
El Nido in October
Good season- Sea
- 30 °C
- at the surface
- Air
- 30 °C
- 25 °C at night
- Rain
- 330 mm
- one of the wettest months
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- on average
The warmest water of the year.
Typical weather, not a forecast: averages for 2021–2025 (air, rain, wind) and 2023–2025 (sea), data from Open-Meteo (ERA5 / Copernicus, Météo-France). Covers an area of roughly 10 to 25 km around the destination.
Best December–May, and November. June–September is the rainy season, with typhoons and possible trip cancellations. Whale sharks are most likely December–February.
Dive sites in El Nido
From the easiest to the most demanding. Levels with a dashed outline are estimates we are still verifying.
Open Water friendly
usual dive down to 18 m2 sitesFor Advanced divers
usual dive down to 30 m7 sitesReef
down to 25 m
Nat-Nat
- Advanced
- Bamboo sharks
Cavern
down to 15 m
Dilumacad Tunnel
A 35 m tunnel at about 10 m depth through Helicopter Island, with a big chamber in the middle.
- Advanced
- Eagle rays
Reef
down to 30 m
South Miniloc
- Advanced
- Manta rays
Cavern
down to 25 m
Twin Rocks
- Advanced
- Eagle rays
For experienced divers
usual dive down to 40 m1 siteTechnical and specialty dives
1 siteCave
down to 27 m
Paglugaban Cave
- Technical
Marine life
When the big encounters happen, month by month.
| Species | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale sharksSource: palawan-divers.org |
- Peak season
- Seen
Whale sharks: Dec–Feb
Also reported here, season not documented yet:
- Turtles
- Stingrays
- Barracuda
- Cuttlefish
- Nudibranchs
- Clownfish
- Snappers
- Manta rays
- Bamboo sharks
- Blacktip reef sharks
- Whitetip reef sharks
- Dugong
- Eagle rays
- Mobula rays
- Frogfish
- Ghost pipefish
- Mimic octopus
- Seahorses
- Bumphead parrotfish
Where is El Nido?
- Nearest airport
- ENI
El Nido: frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to dive El Nido?
- The best months to dive El Nido are Nov–May. Best December–May, and November. June–September is the rainy season, with typhoons and possible trip cancellations. Whale sharks are most likely December–February.
- Is El Nido good for beginner divers?
- Yes, partly: 2 of the 11 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Helicopter Island (Dilumacad) and Paradise Beach. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
- What is the water temperature in El Nido?
- The water is usually between 24 °C and 30 °C over the year.
- What marine life can you see in El Nido?
- Divers regularly see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, cuttlefish, nudibranchs and clownfish.
- How do you dive El Nido?
- The nearest airport is ENI.
About this page
Seasons and marine life come from the sources below. Site levels and depths marked as estimated come from our original catalogue and are being checked one by one. Conditions change: always confirm with a local dive centre.
Your next dive is somewhere out there.
Find my next dive tripPhoto credits
- Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash