MANDAUE TRANSPORT - Siargao
The Mandaue Transport, sitting deep at 55m, is one of Siargao’s proper technical dives. We love a good wreck, and this one, lost in a storm back in '76, offers that deep, dark allure. It’s a ghost ship down there, surprisingly intact for its age, resting on its starboard side. You can still make out the cargo holds, sometimes even a glimpse of the shifting cargo that took her down. Our favourite part? The sheer scale of it, and the way the ambient light fades to gloom so quickly, really letting you appreciate the dive lights cutting through the blue. It’s an advanced dive, for sure, requiring proper planning and gas management. We’ve found the currents can be shifty, so a slack tide descent is always our go-to. What you’ll see are schools of fusiliers darting around the superstructure, and occasionally a curious reef shark circling the deeper sections. It’s a site for those who appreciate history and the quiet solitude of deep water. We’d suggest a sidemount configuration here, just to make navigating the exterior easier.
- Location
- Siargao, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 9.788333, 125.578330
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 55m
Marine Protected Area: Island of Rasa Wilderness Area
Best Time to Dive in Siargao
The warmest water temperatures in Siargao occur in September, averaging 30.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.1°C
- February: 27.7°C
- March: 27.9°C
- April: 28.4°C
- May: 29.1°C
- June: 29.3°C
- July: 29.6°C
- August: 30.1°C
- September: 30.2°C
- October: 30.0°C
- November: 30.0°C
- December: 29.4°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Siargao
- Adrian's Cove (reef)
- ALKENE - 2m (wreck)
- Angel's Cove (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- ATLANTIC - 55m (wreck)
- Balbagon Port - 28m
- BASCO - 55m (wreck)
- Blue Cathedral - 34m (cave)
- Blue Lagoon - 20m (reef)
- Bonnie's place
- Bujong Shoal (pinnacle)
- Bulias Shoal - 5-30m (pinnacle)
- Burias Shoal - 22m (pinnacle)
- Cabuan - 19m
- Canyons
Nearest Dive Centres to MANDAUE TRANSPORT
Marine Life in Siargao
Home to 87 recorded species including 62 reef fish, 7 sharks & rays, 5 seagrass & algae, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 crabs & lobsters, 2 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Bentfin Devil Ray (Mobula thurstoni) - Sharks & Rays
- Devil fish (Mobula mobular) - Sharks & Rays
- Devil Ray (Mobula tarapacana) - Sharks & Rays
- Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) - Reef Fish
- Snakefish (Trachinocephalus myops) - Reef Fish
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Blackbelly Lanternshark (Etmopterus lucifer) - Sharks & Rays
- Arrowhead Dogfish (Deania profundorum) - Sharks & Rays
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- Butterfly fish (Chaetodon vagabundus) - Reef Fish
- Bar Eyed Goby (Glossogobius giuris) - Reef Fish
- Compressed Toby (Canthigaster compressa) - Reef Fish
- Brown Spinecheek Gudgeon (Eleotris fusca) - Reef Fish
- China Lobster (Metanephrops sinensis) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Elegance coral (Catalaphyllia jardinei) - Hard Corals
- Celebes Goby (Glossogobius celebius) - Reef Fish
- royal red prawn (Haliporoides sibogae) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Silver Flagtail (Kuhlia marginata) - Reef Fish
- Fluted clam (Tridacna squamosa) - Clams & Mussels
- Two-toned Pygmy Squid (Idiosepius pygmaeus) - Octopus & Squid
Recommended Packing List for MANDAUE TRANSPORT
Based on average water temperature of 29.2°C, currents 2 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