reef

Log This Dive

Apo Island Sanctuary

There are sanctuaries, and then there's Apo Island Sanctuary. This place isn't just a poster child for community conservation, it’s a living, breathing testament to what happens when everyone pulls in the same direction. We love that you can genuinely feel the difference here. Drop in, and you're immediately enveloped by the sheer volume of fish. Schools of dark-fin chromis and flag-tailed glass perchlets are so dense they shimmer like liquid silver, parting around you then reforming. Our favourite time to dive here is early morning, before the day boats crowd the mooring lines. That’s when you’re most likely to see the big parrotfish, the princess parrotfish in particular, cruising unbothered, or spot one of the resident freckled anglerfish tucked into a coral head. The hard coral gardens are just stunning; you can really spend a whole dive just hovering, watching the orange-lined triggerfish dart among them, or trying to pick out a black blenny peeking from its hole. It’s an easy dive, mostly shallow, perfect for photographers or anyone who just wants to soak in a thriving reef. The hundreds of sea turtles here are also a highlight, munching on seagrass or resting on the coral, seemingly unconcerned by divers.