PIONEER LEYTE - Subic Bay
The Pioneer Leyte is one of Subic’s true standalone wrecks, and we love it for its sheer accessibility and the sense of history that hangs heavy in the water. She was a passenger ferry, sunk back in '66 after a collision, and now she sits upright at a nice, easy 20 metres. We appreciate that depth, it gives you a decent bottom time to really poke around. You drop onto the deck, and immediately the scale of the wreck hits you. The bow is broken clean off, a jagged testament to her final moments. Inside, the holds are open, inviting exploration. We usually find schools of yellowfin snapper hanging in the shadows, and we’ve spotted giant frogfish camouflaged on the bulkheads more than once. The ambient light filtering through the hull plates is beautiful, a moody, blue glow, and we think it's perfect for photographers. This site is a solid pick for divers comfortable with basic wreck penetration, offering a lot to see without being overly demanding.
- Location
- Subic Bay, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 14.553467, 120.859800
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
Marine Protected Area: Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA)/Las Piñas-Parañaque
Best Time to Dive in Subic Bay
The warmest water temperatures in Subic Bay occur in May, averaging 31.4°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 28.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 28.4°C
- February: 28.2°C
- March: 29.4°C
- April: 30.5°C
- May: 31.4°C
- June: 31.3°C
- July: 30.8°C
- August: 29.8°C
- September: 30.0°C
- October: 30.4°C
- November: 30.4°C
- December: 29.4°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Subic Bay
- BALDER CHUANCHOW - 4m (wreck)
- BCL - 6m (wreck)
- CAPTAIN UFUK - 8m (wreck)
- CEBU CITY - 27m (wreck)
- CLYDESDALE IV - 5m (wreck)
- Coral Garden (reef)
- DA'KUDOS Beach Resort
- DONA CORAZON II - 0m (wreck)
- Douglas Skyraider (Wreck) - 31m (wreck)
- EILEEN RACHEL - 1m (wreck)
- El Capitan (USS Majaba) - 20m (wreck)
- FEOSO SUN - 24m (wreck)
- FERNANDO J-1 - 20m (wreck)
- FU SAN - 5m (wreck)
- GENERAL SANTOS CITY - 25m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to PIONEER LEYTE
- Arizona Dive Shop - PADI
- Blueworld Dive Center - ["PADI"]
- Camayan Divers - ["PADI"]
- Dive Buddies Philippines - ["PADI"]
- Divers Point
- Ocean Deep - Diver Training Center (PADI)
Marine Life in Subic Bay
Home to 63 recorded species including 49 reef fish, 6 seagrass & algae, 5 hard corals, 2 sharks & rays, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Flagfin Mojarra (Gerres filamentosus) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Ea (Enhalus acoroides) - Seagrass & Algae
- Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua) - Reef Fish
- Bar Eyed Goby (Glossogobius giuris) - Reef Fish
- Green Rrough-backed Puffer (Lagocephalus lunaris) - Reef Fish
- Silver Sillago (Sillago sihama) - Reef Fish
- Common Ponyfish (Leiognathus equula) - Reef Fish
- Toothed Ponyfish (Gazza minuta) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Honeycomb coral (Favites abdita) - Hard Corals
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Six-banded Rock Cod (Epinephelus sexfasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Silverfish (Trichiurus lepturus) - Reef Fish
- Silver Javelin (Pomadasys argenteus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora millepora) - Hard Corals
- Canif (Aeoliscus strigatus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfish (Scatophagus argus) - Reef Fish
- Puntang Goby (Exyrias puntang) - Reef Fish
- Giant Herring (Elops hawaiensis) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for PIONEER LEYTE
Based on average water temperature of 30.0°C, currents 3 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 30°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