Mactan Dive Sites: A Local Guide to Scuba Diving Mactan

Mactan is often called the gateway to Cebu, and most visitors pass through 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 scuba 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 Mactan dive sites we love most, from easy first dives to deep adventures.

Sea turtle over the reef, scuba diving Mactan

Hilutungan Island Marine Sanctuary

Hilutungan (also spelled Gilutongan) is one of the most popular sites for Mactan scuba diving, 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.

Depth: reef top from about 2 metres, sloping past 50 metres
Level: all levels; snorkelers and beginners enjoy the shallows
Getting there: about 30 minutes by boat from Mactan
Sanctuary fee: ₱100 per person

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.

Depth: very shallow start, gentle slope to a deeper wall
Level: great for newer divers and underwater photographers
Sanctuary fee: ₱200 per person

Talima Marine Sanctuary, Olango Island

Olango Island sits across the channel from Mactan. Its Talima and San Vicente marine sanctuaries are great for both snorkeling and diving, and make an easy boat trip from our beach.

Level: snorkelers and divers
Marine fee: ₱50 per person

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.

Highlights: lots of house reef turtles feeding and resting on the reef
Level: calm and relaxed, suitable for all levels

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.

Highlights: a huge school of sardines plus resident house reef turtles
Level: easy and shallow, good for beginners and Open Water divers

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.

Highlights: a reef wall with healthy marine life and a sunken bus artificial reef placed by the LGU
Protected marine sanctuary; please follow your guide's briefing

Mactan's East Coast Walls

Many sites along Mactan's east coast are wall dives that drop from a few metres to 40 metres or more, including the 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 go scuba diving in Mactan

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. Boats can leave as early as 8:00am, and the Philippine Coast Guard requires all boats to return by 4:30pm.

Divers on the FEEL DEEP dive boat, scuba diving Mactan

All you need is swimwear, a towel, reef-friendly sunscreen and a sense of adventure. We provide the gear.

Which Mactan dive site is right for you?

Never dived before? Start on a shallow, calm reef with Try Scuba Diving, from ₱2,500.
Want to get certified? The SSI Open Water Course (₱18,000, 2-3 days) opens up Hilutungan, Nalusuan and the Marine Station sardines.
Already certified? Join our boat fun dives, ₱3,000 for 2 dives, or 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? WhatsApp us at +63 917 152 6479 to book your dive.

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