Updated guide: see our Mactan Dive Sites page.
Mactan is often called the gateway to Cebu, and most visitors pass through it on the way somewhere else. Divers who stay a few days find out what we have known since we started teaching here in 2007: there is excellent diving just minutes from the airport. Mactan's east coast drops from shallow reefs into deep walls, and the marine sanctuaries in the Olango Channel are packed with fish.
Here are the sites we love most, from easy first dives to deep adventures.
Hilutungan Island Marine Sanctuary
Hilutungan (also spelled Gilutongan) is one of the most popular sites around Mactan, and for good reason. It was declared a protected sanctuary in 1999, and the fish life shows it. Expect turtles, big schools of parrotfish, batfish, jacks and snappers, plus ribbon sweetlips and seagrass meadows in the shallows.
The reef top starts at about 2 metres and slopes down past 50 metres, so it works for everyone. Snorkelers and beginners enjoy the shallows, while certified divers can explore the slope. It is about 30 minutes by boat from Mactan.
Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary
Nalusuan is usually paired with Hilutungan as a two-dive day, since the two are close together. The dive often starts with a colony of blue-spotted stingrays on the upper slope. Further along you will find large groupers hovering over fields of table coral, along with sweetlips, snappers and the odd turtle.
The reef begins very shallow and slopes gently before reaching a deeper wall. That gentle profile makes Nalusuan a great choice for newer divers and underwater photographers.
Plantation Bay Turtle Point
A calm reef off Plantation Bay where you'll see lots of resident house reef turtles feeding and resting. Relaxed and shallow, a favorite for turtle encounters.
Sardines at the Marine Station, Maribago
A big school of sardines swirls just off the Marine Station in Maribago, and the house reef is home to resident sea turtles. An easy, shallow site that's great for new divers and underwater photos.
Barring Marine Sanctuary
A protected sanctuary with a beautiful wall and healthy, colorful marine life. The local government recently sank a bus here as an artificial reef, making it a fun new spot to explore.
Protected marine sanctuary; please follow your guide's briefing.
Mactan's East Coast Walls
Many of the sites along Mactan's east coast are wall dives that drop from a few metres to 40 metres or more. These include house reefs off beachfront resorts such as Palm Beach and the area around Hadsan. They are close to shore, so you spend more time underwater and less time on a boat.
When to Dive and What to Bring
You can dive Mactan all year. Water is usually around 27 to 30°C, so a thin wetsuit or rash guard is enough for most people. Calm mornings usually bring the best visibility, and our instructors pick sites based on the weather and current on the day.
All you really need is swimwear, a towel, sunscreen that is kind to the reef and a sense of adventure. We provide the gear.
Which Site Is Right for You?
- Never dived before? Start with a shallow, calm reef on a Try Scuba Diving experience.
- Want to get certified? The SSI Open Water Diver course takes 2 days and opens up Hilutungan, Nalusuan and the Marine Station sardines.
- Already certified? Go deeper with SSI Advanced Adventurer and work toward Barring Marine Sanctuary.
Dive Mactan with FEEL DEEP
FEEL DEEP is an SSI dive school based at The Mactan Newtown Beach, with more locations at Savoy, Belmont, Palm Beach Resort and The Beach Park-HADSAN. Our SSI instructors have been showing divers around these reefs since 2007.
Ready to get in the water? Call us at +63 917 152 6479 or WhatsApp +63 977 810 8917 to book your dive.
