Scuba Dive Apo Island

Every diving trip to the Philippines should include a trip to Apo Island.

Apo is one of the world’s top diving locations in the world, with thousands of scuba divers visiting the island all year round, from many parts of the world. In the Visayan dialect; Cebuano the word “Apo” means grand child.

Apo Island is the grand child of the Talinis volcanic mountain in Negros Oriental.Apo is a small volcanic island with an area of 72.4 hectares and a coastline of 4.8 kilometers.It is located in the Bohol Sea only 26 km South of Dumaguete, the Capital City of Negros Oriental. Apo Island has a population of approximately 900 people.

The island has a school, no road, only a side-walk, and there is limited electricity from a gas generator.

All fresh water and groceries come from the main land via Malatapay which is the nearest village to Apo Island.

Aquaventura Dive Map

DIVERS INFO

Apo Island Dive Sites	Description	Depths	Divers/Snorkelers
Chapel	Flat coral slope & wall	6-30m	OWD/Good
Katipanan	Flat coral slope	6-20m	OWD/excellent
Rock Point West	Steep coral slope& wall	6-30m	AOW/ excellent
Rock Point East	Steep coral slope& wall	6-30m	AOW/ ok
Marine Sanctuary	Steep coral slope	4-20m	closed at this time
Kan Uran	Steep coral slope & wall	5-20m	OWD/good
Mamsa Point	Steep coral slope & wall	6-25	AOW/ good
Cogon	Coral slope	8-20m	AOW/ strong current
Coconut Point	Coral slope	5-30m	Rescue/ strong current
Largahan	Flat coral slope & wall	3-20m	OWD/ excellent
Boluarte	Flat coral slope	5-30m	OWD/good

Scuba Diving around Apo Island is considered “the best” of the Visaya’s because of its great corals and dense marine life.

There are a total of 11 dive-sites; 2 cliff, 3 steep slope and 5 coral slope and 1 flat slope dive site.

The most famous dive site is the Marine Sanctuary (Temporarily Closed) in front of a lagoon in the South west side which is supported by the Silliman University in Dumaguete City.Very unique in Apo is also the guaranty to see Sea Turtles on nearly all dive sites.

Even during a snorkeling trip right in front of the Bay-bay village you can see several loggerhead Sea Turtles grazing the sea weeds that are growing there in the shallow water.

The third and last village called Cogon is on the East side of Apo Island.

Negros Oriental province where Dumaguete Citys is capital is also the most traveled place for scuba diving in the Philippines.