Hidden gem
Barracuda Lake
A lake where fresh water sits on top of salt water heated by geothermal vents to 38 C, with a resident barracuda.
- Advanced
- Lake
- Barracuda
Experienced≤40 m
Irako
Dive site in Coron, Philippines
A 145 m Japanese refrigerated provisions ship lying upright to 43 m, with deck areas between 28 and 35 m.
- Usual dive
- 35 m
- Deepest point
- 45 m
- Level
- Experienced
- Best months
- Nov–May
- Current
- Moderate
The story
The Irako was a refrigerated provisioning ship that could supply food for 25,000 personnel for up to two weeks.
Source: xray-mag.com
The dive
A wreck dive. Known for turtles, trevally and scorpionfish.
Who it's for
Experienced≤40 mSource: scubatechphilippines.com
Recommended minimum: Experienced (Deep Specialty, N3).
- DepthThe usual dive goes deeper than lower certifications allow.
- OverheadPart of the dive is under a ceiling, without a direct way up.
- Overhead environment: only go inside with the matching training.
- The site goes deeper than 40 m: Experienced divers stay above 40 m.
Conditions
- Dive type
- Wreck
- Current
- Moderate
- Estimated
- Environment
- Wreck penetration
- Water
- Sea water
What you might see
- Turtles
- Trevally
- Scorpionfish
- Batfish
- Groupers
Why divers come
- History
Best time to dive
- J
- F
- M
- A
- M
- J
- J
- A
- S
- O
- N
- D
- Best
- Good
- Possible
- Closed
- Not documented yet
Best months: Nov–May.
Where is Coron?
The point shows the Coron area, not the exact dive site.
More dives in Coron
Akitsushima
- Experienced
- Wreck
- Tuna
Siete Pecados
A marine-sanctuary reef of table and staghorn corals where turtles, Napoleon wrasse and mandarinfish can be seen.
- Advanced
- Reef
- Turtles
Drift
down to 34 m
Calumbuyan Reef
Island reef with coral gardens on its east side and a 1-3 knot channel drift along the south side from 4 to 34 m.
- Advanced
Wreck
down to 36 m
Kogyo Maru
A freighter to 34 m where you can swim through the engine room, bridge and all 6 holds at 22-28 m.
- Advanced
- Barracuda
Wreck
down to 39 m
Kyokuzan Maru
A 180 m Japanese freighter northeast of Busuanga, away from the main cluster of Coron wrecks.
- Experienced
- Scorpionfish
About this page
Values marked “Estimated” come from our original catalogue and are being checked against published sources one by one. Sourced values link to where they come from. Conditions change with the season, the weather and the tide: confirm with a local dive centre before you dive.
Photo credits
- Barracuda Lake Dive site, Coron, Madcel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Akitsushima Wreck dive site, Coron, Philippines, Ryan Sia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- The Siete Pecados islets, Coron, Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}