Sea Gaia Diving Resort - Apo Reef
Apo Reef is known for its pelagics, but we love the Sea Gaia Diving Resort house reef for something completely different: the small stuff. We typically spend our surface intervals here, doing shore dives right off the resort’s jetty. The water often has a slight chill, but the sheer density of critter life makes it worth it. You’ll find sponges and anemones clinging to every surface, and we’ve spent hours hunting for nudibranchs, spotting the Bicolor and the Snowball Chama. The Bear Paw Clams are huge, their mantles a vibrant blue peeking from the reef. We’ve had great luck finding the rare Ivory Cowry here, tucked into crevices, and if you’re patient, you might even spot the Two-toned Pygmy Squid – a real treat. It’s a shallow, calm dive, ideal for macro photographers or anyone who just wants to slow down and really look.
- Location
- Apo Reef, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 11.965109, 121.922356
Marine Protected Area: DENR Antique, BFAR Antique, Office of the Provincial Agriculture (OPA) Antique and Rare Inc.
Best Time to Dive in Apo Reef
The warmest water temperatures in Apo Reef occur in June, averaging 30.3°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.1°C
- February: 27.8°C
- March: 28.2°C
- April: 29.1°C
- May: 30.1°C
- June: 30.3°C
- July: 29.9°C
- August: 29.6°C
- September: 29.7°C
- October: 29.8°C
- November: 29.5°C
- December: 29.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Apo Reef
- 7 Islands Reef, Diving (NDC) (reef)
- Agnay Sanctuary (reef)
- Agpanabat Caves Canyons (cave)
- Agpanabat Sanctuary (reef)
- Akitsushima (wreck)
- Akitsushima (wreck)
- Aladin
- Alad North
- Alad Sanctuary Garden (reef)
- Alad South
- Apo 29
- Apo Island - South (Mabuti) - 25m
- Apo Menor
- Apo Reef (reef)
- Aqualife Divers Academy
Nearest Dive Centres to Sea Gaia Diving Resort
Marine Life in Apo Reef
Home to 181 recorded species including 171 reef fish, 5 seagrass & algae, 2 other, 1 whales & dolphins, 1 hard corals, 1 clams & mussels.
Notable Species
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-finned Rock Cod (Cephalopholis microprion) - Reef Fish
- Rock Cod (Cephalopholis boenak) - Reef Fish
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Two-spot Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus) - Reef Fish
- Sunburst Butterflyfish (Chaetodon kleinii) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Ghost Cardinalfish (Nectamia fusca) - Reef Fish
- Bandcheek wrasse (Oxycheilinus digramma) - Reef Fish
- Banded Goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Telescopefish (Epibulus insidiator) - Reef Fish
- Kihikihi (Zanclus cornutus) - Reef Fish
- Red Sea Butterflyfish (Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus) - Reef Fish
- Scarlet wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Blue-scaled wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Sea Gaia Diving Resort
Based on average water temperature of 29.3°C, currents 8 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories