Mactan Island - Visayas
Mactan Island is where many divers get their first taste of Visayan diving, thanks to its proximity to Cebu City. We often find ourselves at the Tambuli plane wreck, a surprisingly photogenic site sitting at about 20 meters. It's not a massive wreck, the sea has certainly had its way with it, but it's draped in soft corals and home to schools of small reef fish. You'll likely spot a few lionfish lurking. Further afield, there are some decent wall dives and current-swept channels, though visibility can vary. It's a convenient spot for a quick dive fix, especially if you're staying in the city.
- Location
- Visayas, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 10.290000, 123.970000
Marine Protected Area: Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Best Time to Dive in Visayas
The warmest water temperatures in Visayas occur in January, averaging 27.8°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.8°C (air: 23.3°C)
- February: 27.8°C (air: 23.3°C)
- March: 27.8°C (air: 24.2°C)
- April: 27.8°C (air: 25.3°C)
- May: 27.8°C (air: 25.7°C)
- June: 27.8°C (air: 24.8°C)
- July: 27.8°C (air: 24.7°C)
- August: 27.8°C (air: 24.9°C)
- September: 27.8°C (air: 24.8°C)
- October: 27.8°C (air: 24.4°C)
- November: 27.8°C (air: 24.3°C)
- December: 27.8°C (air: 23.7°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Visayas
- 1
- 19 - 5m (wreck)
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Abaca House Reef - 14m (reef)
- Adrian's Cove - 22m (reef)
- Alegre reef (reef)
- Anda
- ASIA INDONESIA (POSSIBLY) - 11m (wreck)
- Bagacawa Point - 11m
- Bamboo Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Bantegue Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Baring - 23m (reef)
- BUTUAN - 10m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Mactan Island
Marine Life in Visayas
Home to 577 recorded species including 463 reef fish, 24 sharks & rays, 21 hard corals, 19 sea snails & nudibranchs, 14 sea cucumbers, 9 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Scarlet wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktip Ponyfish (Eubleekeria splendens) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Comettailed wrasse (Oxycheilinus bimaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Six-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Sleek Unicornfish (Naso hexacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Barred Unicornfish (Naso thynnoides) - Reef Fish
- Bloodspot pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-scaled wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Blackspine Unicornfish (Naso minor) - Reef Fish
- Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Mactan Island
Based on average water temperature of 27.8°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 28°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