Yapak Dive - Apo Reef

Yapak at Apo Reef, for us, is one of those dives that feels like a full-body reset. The boat ride out, even on a choppy day, is worth it for what you find below. We’ve drifted along that wall, watching the sunlight shaft down into the deeper blue, feeling the cool thermoclines shift around us. The reef here starts around 5 meters and just keeps going. The drop-off is pretty dramatic. We’ve seen enormous fluted clams nestled in the coral, their mantles pulsing. Keep an eye out for the Ivory Cowry; they’re surprisingly tricky to spot against the darker rock. Our favourite is probably the bicolor nudibranch, a flash of colour against the reef. We always make sure to look into every crevice for Gilbert’s Synaphobranchid Eels, they’re masters of disguise. You’ll encounter steady currents here, so it’s a drift dive, best suited for those comfortable with that. Visibility is usually superb, letting you appreciate the scale of the wall and the schools of fusiliers that swirl past, sometimes thick enough to block out the sun for a moment. If you can time it for mid-morning, the light is just incredible as it pierces the deeper water.

Location
Apo Reef, Philippines, Southeast Asia
Coordinates
11.952577, 121.929920

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

Nearest Dive Centres to Yapak Dive

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

Recommended Packing List for Yapak Dive

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