Is Mactan (Cebu) good for beginner divers?

Yes, partly: 5 of the 15 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary, Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary and Agus. The others need more experience or a higher certification.

What is the water temperature in Mactan (Cebu)?

The water is usually between 27 °C and 30 °C over the year.

What marine life can you see in Mactan (Cebu)?

Divers regularly see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, trevally, crustaceans and frogfish.

Mactan (Cebu)

Diving in Philippines

15 documented dive sites, 5 of them for Open Water divers. Known for turtles, stingrays and barracuda.

Best months: Feb–May
Water: 27–30 °C
Levels: Open Water, Advanced, Experienced, Technical
Nearest airport: CEB

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

Mactan (Cebu) in October

Good season

Sea: 30 °C; at the surface
Air: 30 °C; 25 °C at night
Rain: 310 mm; one of the wettest months
Wind: 8 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.

Dive-the-World (Cebu page) gives the dry season Feb–May as best (shown as best). PADI says Mactan diving is good all year (other months shown as good). Liveaboard.com advises against late Nov–Jan because of typhoons: Dec and Jan are shown as possible, Nov as good because only late November is mentioned. Sources describe Cebu as a whole, not only Mactan.

Source: dive-the-world.com

Dive sites in Mactan (Cebu)

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 m5 sites

Wall

down to 30 m

Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary

A marine sanctuary with a large colony of blue-spotted stingrays and huge groupers beside impressive table corals.

Open Water
Stingrays

Macro

down to 120 m

Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary

A protected coral garden from 5 m where spadefish, snapper and barracuda circle and frogfish hide on the reef.

Open Water
Barracuda

Wall

down to 40 m

Agus

A reef and wall dive with large table corals descending from 3 m, suited to beginners through advanced divers.

Open Water
Moray eels

down to 18 m

EZDC House Reef

Open Water

Artificial reef

down to 50 m

Kontiki House Reef

Open Water
Sea snakes

For Advanced divers

usual dive down to 30 m5 sites

Drift

down to 50 m

Santa Rosa

On the edge of the Olango marine sanctuary, this site becomes a drift dive along the reef when the tide is good.

Advanced

Wall

down to 40 m

San Vicente

A shield reef of hard and soft corals at 3-10 m that tips over a wall dropping beyond 40 m.

Advanced

Wreck

down to 35 m

Tambuli Plane Wreck

Advanced
Frogfish

Reef

down to 22 m

Hilutungan Island Marine Sanctuary

Shallow sunlit sanctuary reefs with schools of batfish, turtles, parrotfish and sweetlips, popular with photographers.

Advanced
Turtles

Wall

down to 40 m

Talima Marine Sanctuary

Advanced
Frogfish

For experienced divers

usual dive down to 40 m3 sites

Pinnacle

down to 50 m

Kansantik

A pinnacle in the Olango Channel rising to within 30 m, with soft corals, sea whips and enormous sponges.

Experienced

Wall

down to 40 m

Mabini Point

An Olango drop-off around 35 m where sharks, including hammerheads and the occasional whale shark, can be seen.

Experienced
Whale sharks

Wall

down to 73 m

Baring

Experienced
Grey reef sharks

Technical and specialty dives

2 sites

Cave

down to 40 m

Marigondon Cave

A large cave at 26 m on a gorgonian-covered wall, home to Flashlight Fish that glow in the darkness.

Technical
Flashlight fish

Wreck

down to 48 m

San Juan Wreck

An intact 180 m passenger ferry sunk in 2000, covered in sponges and coral trees, with a photogenic propeller.

Technical

Marine life

When the big encounters happen, month by month.

Reported here, season not documented yet:

Turtles
Stingrays
Barracuda
Trevally
Crustaceans
Frogfish
Nudibranchs
Scorpionfish
Batfish
Flashlight fish
Garden eels
Groupers
Sea snakes
Whale sharks
Grey reef sharks
Hammerhead sharks
Whitetip reef sharks
Tuna

Where is Mactan (Cebu)?

View on OpenStreetMapLocation: Mactan (Wikipedia)Map: Natural Earth

Nearest airport: CEB

Mactan (Cebu): frequently asked questions

When is the best time to dive Mactan (Cebu)?: The best months to dive Mactan (Cebu) are Feb–May. Dive-the-World (Cebu page) gives the dry season Feb–May as best (shown as best). PADI says Mactan diving is good all year (other months shown as good). Liveaboard.com advises against late Nov–Jan because of typhoons: Dec and Jan are shown as possible, Nov as good because only late November is mentioned. Sources describe Cebu as a whole, not only Mactan.
Is Mactan (Cebu) good for beginner divers?: Yes, partly: 5 of the 15 dive sites we document are suited to Open Water divers, including Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary, Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary and Agus. The others need more experience or a higher certification.
What is the water temperature in Mactan (Cebu)?: The water is usually between 27 °C and 30 °C over the year.
What marine life can you see in Mactan (Cebu)?: Divers regularly see turtles, stingrays, barracuda, trevally, crustaceans and frogfish.
How do you dive Mactan (Cebu)?: The nearest airport is CEB.

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.

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Photo: Sarah Lee on Unsplash

Photo credits

Sunlight and bubbles in deep blue water, Sarah Lee, Unsplash License, on Unsplash