Coron Palawan diving is about the Japanese supply ships sunk in and around Coron Bay in 1944, now covered in coral and among the best-known wreck dives in Asia. This guide explains the main wrecks and their depths, which ones snorkelers can see, what certification you need, the unusual Barracuda Lake dive and how to choose a dive shop.
A good fit for snorkelers curious about wreck and lake sites around Coron. Plan on about 8 hours on the water, with three named stops.
from ~$37 per person
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Snorkel or dive two World War II wrecks and the Lusong coral garden, then relax on the white sand of Pass Island. Suits history fans and snorkelers.
from ~$46 per person
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A full-day boat trip from Coron for travelers who want lagoon swimming and a shipwreck stop in one outing. Lunch is part of the cruise, and the day runs about eight hours.
from ~$43 per person
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An introductory dive for complete beginners, with basic theory and training before two dives at a wreck site and coral reef. A divemaster and crew guide the day, and a picnic lunch is provided.
from ~$143 per person
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A good fit for snorkelers curious about a shallow World War II supply ship wreck and Barracuda Lake's thermocline. Also stops at Smith Beach, Twin Lagoon and Reef Garden, with lunch prepared by the crew.
from ~$33 per person
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A full-day island-hopping route for swimmers and snorkelers with a relaxed pace, a Filipino buffet on the beach (vegetarian and vegan friendly) and transfer. Stops may change with weather.
from ~$51 per person
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A private boat tour covering limestone scenery, lakes, lagoons, white-sand beaches and coral gardens. Six named stops make it a good fit for first-time visitors to Coron.
from ~$114 per person
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A full-day Coron tour for two guests covering Kayangan Lake, Barracuda Lake, Twin Lagoon, Siete Pecados and Skeleton Wreck. Hotel pickup, a licensed guide, life vests and lunch at Malwawey Beach are part of it.
from ~$250 per person
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In September 1944 a Japanese supply fleet lay at anchor in Coron Bay and around Busuanga Island. On the morning of September 24, aircraft of the US Navy's Task Force 38, flying around 340 miles from their carriers, attacked the anchored ships and sank or wrecked most of them.
About a dozen of those wrecks are dived regularly from Coron town, and a report for the Asian Development Bank counts 12 World War II shipwrecks clustered around Barangay Bintuan alone. Eight decades underwater have covered them in hard and soft corals, sponges and fish. They are also war graves: look, but take nothing.
Okikawa Maru, a 525 ft (160 m) oiler sitting upright, is the usual first wreck: its deck lies at about 33-52 ft (10-16 m) and the bottom at about 85 ft (26 m). Olympia Maru, a freighter also upright, averages 52-85 ft (16-26 m) and is easy to enter through its holds, while Morazan Maru, on its side, ranges from about 40 to 82 ft (12-25 m).
Deeper and more demanding, Kogyo Maru lies on its side at about 112 ft (34 m), with its holds around 72-92 ft (22-28 m). Akitsushima, an Imperial Japanese Navy seaplane tender, rests on its port side at about 118 ft (36 m) with its crane still recognizable. Irako, a refrigerated provisions ship near the mouth of the bay, reaches about 140 ft (43 m) and is a dive for experienced deep and wreck divers.
Published depths differ slightly between sources, so treat them as approximate.
Snorkelers do not miss out. The Lusong Gunboat, a small gunboat or submarine chaser off Lusong Island, lies so shallow that part of it breaks the surface, with a maximum depth of about 46 ft (14 m). The East Tangat gunboat, sometimes identified as the Terukaze Maru, starts at about 10 ft (3 m) and works for snorkelers and divers alike.
Skeleton Wreck, a small unidentified ship whose bare frame lies close to shore, is a stop on several Coron Island tours: the bow is shallow enough to see from the surface, at around 16 ft (5 m), while the stern drops much deeper. These sites appear on the Reefs and Wrecks and Coron Island routes described in our Coron tours guide. Snorkel where the crew shows you, keep your fins off the coral and never stand on a wreck.
Open Water divers, certified to about 60 ft (18 m), can enjoy the decks of Okikawa Maru, Olympia Maru, Morazan Maru and the gunboats, but most of the famous wrecks are deeper, and operators generally recommend Advanced Open Water plus wreck training for them. Going inside a hold or engine room is overhead diving: do it only after a wreck course and with a guide who knows the route. Dive centers in town teach Advanced and Wreck courses on these sites.
A typical day trip leaves in the morning for two or three dives, usually wrecks plus a reef or Barracuda Lake. The wrecks can be dived all year, but rough seas, most often from June to October, can change the plan; the weather guide explains the seasons.
Barracuda Lake on Coron Island is a dive with no equivalent nearby: you carry your gear up a short stairway over the rocks, then descend through layers of different water. According to dive guides, the boundary between fresh and salt water lies only about 13 ft (4 m) down, and at around 46 ft (14 m) the temperature jumps from about 82 °F (28 °C) to about 100 °F (38 °C). The silty bottom, at about 115 ft (35 m), is dark with tannins from fallen leaves.
Marine life is sparse; the geology is the attraction. The lake lies within the Tagbanua ancestral domain, so an entrance fee is paid and local rules apply. Snorkelers visit on island-hopping tours too; Kayangan Lake is the other lake open to visitors.
Coron town has many dive centers affiliated with PADI or SSI. Before booking, ask about group size per guide, how they plan and brief wreck penetrations, whether the boat carries oxygen and a first-aid kit, and whether rental gear and computers are in good order.
Pick operators that brief on buoyancy and not touching, moor rather than drop anchor on the reef, and do not let divers wear gloves or collect souvenirs. Green Fins, a code of conduct run by the Reef-World Foundation with the UN Environment Programme, lists its member dive and snorkel centers on its website. Buy dive insurance before you travel and, following standard dive-safety guidelines, leave at least 18 hours between your last dive and your flight out of Busuanga after several days of diving; see the safety page for health basics.
Yes, a few of them. The Lusong Gunboat, the East Tangat gunboat and Skeleton Wreck lie shallow enough to see from the surface and are visited on Reefs and Wrecks and Coron Island tours.
Not for every site: Open Water divers can visit the shallower decks of Okikawa Maru, Olympia Maru and the gunboats. Most deeper wrecks, and any penetration, call for Advanced Open Water and wreck training.
About a dozen Japanese ships sunk on September 24, 1944 are regularly dived around Coron Bay and Busuanga, and some have never been positively identified.
Irako, a refrigerated provisions ship near the mouth of Coron Bay, reaches about 140 ft (43 m) and is a dive for experienced deep and wreck divers.
Coron island hopping tours Coron Island and Ultimate tours, Reefs and Wrecks, beaches and Calauit: the stops, the fees paid on top, shared vs. private boats. Kayangan Lake The viewpoint climb, swimming rules, fees and the quietest hours at Coron Island's best-known lake, plus Twin Lagoon and Barracuda Lake. 