Banca Wreck
Protected Area
Apo Island Protected Landscape & Seascape
Why dive here
With 496+ marine species recorded in the area - including barracuda, blacktip reef sharks, blue-spotted stingrays, bull sharks and octopuses - Banca Wreck offers some of Dumaguete's richest wreck diving. Water sits around 27°C.
The Banca Wreck in Dumaguete is one of those dives we always recommend for a chill afternoon. It's not a deep dive, making it perfect for a long bottom time, and usually, the visibility is excellent – you can often see the entire wreck from the moment you drop down. What we love about this wreck is how approachable it is. You can swim right through the cargo hold, past the engine room, and out the bow, all in one easy pass. It’s an old fishing banca, maybe 20 metres long, that just sort of settled onto the sand, now lying on its side. Over the years, it’s become home to a bustling community. We often find resident lionfish tucked into crevices, sometimes a school of batfish hangs out near the mast, and the hard corals are really starting to take hold, especially on the upper parts of the hull. Keep an eye out for nudibranchs, too; they love the sponges growing on the old wooden beams. It’s a pretty easygoing dive, great for photographers wanting to practice their wreck skills without strong currents, and a solid choice for any diver looking for a relaxed, critter-filled exploration.
Typical Banca Wreck Dive Profile
Illustrative profile based on site depth and type. Actual dive profiles vary - always follow your dive computer and training.
Safety Notes
Wreck site - avoid penetration without wreck diving certification. Watch for sharp metal and entanglement hazards.
Banca Wreck Wreck History
Vessel Type
fishing vessel
Cause
unknown
The "Banca Wreck" near Dumaguete offers a quintessential Filipino diving experience. A "banca" is a traditional wooden outrigger canoe, the workhorse of the sea for local fishermen and communities throughout the archipelago. While the specific history of this particular vessel is not well-documented, it represents a common sight in the Philippines, both above and below the water. It likely served as a local fishing boat for many years before sinking due to a storm or other misfortune, eventually finding a new purpose as an artificial reef.
Today, the wreck is a small but fascinating feature on the sandy seabed. Its wooden structure provides a perfect substrate for emerging corals and sponges, transforming it into a vibrant micro-ecosystem. Divers can expect to find a host of reef dwellers seeking shelter within its remains, including frogfish, ghost pipefish, and juvenile fish. The Banca Wreck is a testament to how even the humblest of vessels can become a beautiful and lively underwater attraction.
Nearest Dive Centres to Banca Wreck
Dive shops near Banca Wreck
Apo scuba
Sea Explorers - Dauin
KIM’S DIVE RESORT
Dive Works
Easy Diving Dauin
Elcielo Resort
Reviews for Banca Wreck
Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Banca Wreck
Banca Wreck Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Banca Wreck, sourced from NOAA buoy data - nearest station: Open-Meteo grid (9.18, 123.26) (0km away)
August Averages
Sea Temperature
26.79°C
80°F
Air Temperature
27.62°C
82°F
Wind Speed
4.42 m/s
8.6 knots
Atmospheric Pressure
1010.1 hPa
Based on 5 years of monitoring data · Data sources: NOAA NDBC
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