Himensulan, San Francisco
- Depth
- 15-45 m
- Access
- Shore or boat
- Type
- Reef, Wall
- A sunken fishing boat at 15 m
- Night dives from the beach
- Current: Minimal.
- Depth: Goes past 45 m
Night dive
East, Camotes Sea
Diving Camotes Islands
The Camotes Islands (Pacijan, Poro, Ponson and Tulang) sit in the Camotes Sea east of Cebu and are mostly wall diving: terraced walls, small caverns and swim-throughs, plus the Tako Maru wreck at 27 m and the deep Boholana Princess ferry wreck for technical divers. One local dive centre maps 27 numbered sites around Pacijan and Tulang. The usual way there is a 1-1.5 hour drive to Danao port and a 2-hour ferry.
Quote a transfer to Danao port Last checked: Oct 2026
- Dive sites here
- 16 (3 mapped)
- From Cebu City
- ~35 km to Danao, 1-1.5 hrs + 2-2.5 hr ferry
- Character
- Walls, caverns, two wrecks
- Mapped sites
- 27 (one local dive map)
Map of Camotes dive sites
Tap a dot or a site in the list.
16 dive sites
Camotes dive sites at a glance
| Site | Depth | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Pacijan Island | ||
| Mangodlong Beach house reef | 15-45 m | - |
| Tako Maru Wreck | to 27 m | Advanced |
| Seahorse Garden | to 12 m | - |
| Santiago Bay | - | Beginner |
| Hanazono Wall | - | - |
| Cherry's Rock | to 18 m | - |
| Lucbon Shoal | 15-25 m | - |
| Tulang Island | ||
| MV Boholana Princess Wreck | 55-72 m | Technical |
| Lawis Point | to 33 m | - |
| Parola Point | to 22 m | - |
| Cloud 8 | - | - |
| The Wall (Camotes) | to 40 m | - |
| Tulang Diot | to 30 m | Beginner |
| Other Camotes sites | ||
| Poseidon Point | - | - |
| The Sanctuary (Camotes) | - | - |
| Lakeview Cave | - | - |
Site by site
Every Camotes dive site
Depth, level, access, marine life and current for each site, with its sources. Every site has its own link, so you can share one directly.
Pacijan Island
Tako Maru Wreck
AdvancedMangodlong, Himensulan, San Francisco
- Depth
- to 27 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wreck
- A large fishing vessel at 27 m
- Level: Advanced recreational
Himensulan, San Francisco · also called Seahorse Point
- Depth
- to 12 m
- Type
- Muck
- A sandy night muck dive at about 12 m
- Bobtail squid, little dragonfish and spiny devilfish
- Flatheads and box crabs
Night diveMacro
Santiago Bay
BeginnerSantiago, San Francisco · also called Santiago Marine Sanctuary
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall, Sanctuary
- A terraced wall
- Level: Suits beginners and advanced divers
Sanctuary
Santiago, San Francisco
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall
- A school of trevally
- Flatworms and peacock mantis shrimp
- Depth: The top of the wall was reached at about 27 m on one dive
Macro
Santiago, San Francisco
- Depth
- to 18 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Shoal, Reef
- A coral-covered seamount
- A very large finger-coral colony
- Pen shells and chromodoris nudibranchs
- Depth: Dived to about 18 m
Off Consuelo, San Francisco
- Depth
- 15-25 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Shoal, Reef
- Very large table corals
- Harlequin shrimp, groupers and lionfish
- · Described in a 2010 trip report, which also noted crown-of-thorns starfish; conditions may have changed
Tulang Island
MV Boholana Princess Wreck
TechnicalTulang Island, San Francisco
- Depth
- 55-72 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wreck, Wall
- A roll-on roll-off ferry that struck Tulang Island and sank on 15 Dec 1990
- Lies almost upside down at the foot of the western wall
- Level: Technical only; trimix
- Depth: 60 m to 72 m
Tulang Island, San Francisco · also called Lawis
- Depth
- to 33 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall
- Corals, sponges, sea fans and crinoids
- Scorpionfish
- Depth: A deep wall, dived to 33 m
- · Described in a 2010 trip report, which also noted crown-of-thorns starfish; conditions may have changed
Tulang Island, San Francisco
- Depth
- to 22 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall, Cave
- Large sea fans and tube and barrel sponges
- A swim-through cave
- Green turtles
Tulang Island, San Francisco · also called Cloud 8 Reef
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall, Reef
- Colonies of bush-like black coral on the western wall
- Nudibranchs and banded sea kraits
- Reported as a good night dive
Night dive
Near Tulang Island, San Francisco
- Depth
- to 40 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Wall
- Large sea fans, corals, sponges and crinoids
- Nudibranchs
- Depth: A slope dropping to 40 m
- · Described in a 2010 trip report; it may now go by another name
Tulang Diot
BeginnerTulang, off northern Pacijan
- Depth
- to 30 m
- Access
- Boat
- Type
- Reef, Wall
- Limestone platform with a fringing reef that drops to a wall of sea fans, sponges and soft corals
- Green turtles and devil rays; whale sharks possible
- Described as uncrowded
- Current: Pelagic sightings depend on current and season.
- Level: PADI lists it as useful for Open Water and Advanced Open Water training.
Big animals
Other Camotes sites
Camotes Islands
- Type
- Reef
- A relatively shallow reef with healthy coral gardens
- Turtles, reef sharks and schooling jacks
- Occasional mantas
Big animals
Camotes Islands
- Type
- Sanctuary, Muck
- A shallow macro site with pygmy seahorses and ghost pipefish
- Night dives with bobtail squid and stargazers
SanctuaryNight diveMacro
Camotes Islands
- Type
- Cave
- A freshwater cavern with stalactites
- Blind fish and freshwater eels
When to go
Seasons and conditions in Camotes
| Conditions | No Camotes-specific season data found; the calmer half of the year across Cebu is roughly November to May |
|---|
Getting there
How to get to Camotes with your dive gear
| Road + ferry | About 35 km and 1-1.5 hours from Cebu City to Danao port, then a ferry of about 2-2.5 hours to Consuelo on Pacijan. |
|---|---|
| Other crossings | Fast craft also run from Cebu City Pier 1 to Poro and from Mactan to Consuelo, about 1.5 hours each (check current schedules). |
Dive kit takes more room than its bag count suggests, so tell us how many gear bags you are bringing and we size the vehicle for it before we quote.
Quote a transfer to Danao port, gear included
A private car or van with room for your dive bags, met at arrivals or your hotel, at one fixed price agreed before you travel. We reply by email, usually the same day.
We’ll pre-fill Camotes Islands on the form - just add your dates and details.
FAQ
Diving Camotes: questions
Can you dive the Boholana Princess wreck?
Only as a technical diver: the ferry, which sank off Tulang Island in December 1990, lies at about 55-72 m, well past the 40 m recreational limit in Philippine dive rules.