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Scuba Diving in CoronPH
A town on Busuanga island in northern Palawan, ringed by limestone karst lagoons and, beneath them, a fleet of Japanese WWII ships sunk in a single 1944 air raid. The best wreck diving in Asia at recreational depths.
Why here
In September 1944, US carrier planes caught a Japanese supply fleet at anchor in Coron Bay and put a dozen ships on the bottom, where they still lie, coral-crusted, intact, and mostly within recreational depth. That accident of history makes Coron the rare wreck destination where ordinary certified divers penetrate real engine rooms and cargo holds, seaplane tenders, freighters, a gunboat, without technical training, and where an Advanced course pays for itself in a single trip. Between wreck days, the karst lagoons of Coron Island, including the thermally layered Barracuda Lake, offer diving found nowhere else.
Best months
Diving runs year-round, with the driest, calmest window November through June; visibility on the wrecks runs 10-20 metres and improves inside the bay when open water chops up. The July-October wet season still dives most days around passing weather. Wreck penetration depends on certification level; operators grade routes from swim-throughs to full interior lines.
Getting there & around
Fly into Busuanga (USU) from Manila or Cebu, 30-40 minutes from Coron town, where the dive shops line the waterfront. Wreck sites run 30-90 minutes out by banca, so days are two- or three-dive boat trips. Book Advanced or wreck specialty courses ahead in the December-April peak.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Pirate Divers Coron
SchoolA PADI 5-Star dive center in Busuanga with the WWII wreck fleet on its doorstep, running daily wreck trips and the full PADI course ladder including the wreck specialties required for interior penetration.
Reggae Dive Center
SchoolA Coron dive operation with nearly two decades in town and top local and PADI ratings, running wreck and reef trips plus courses from Open Water through wreck and deep specialties.