MV San Juan, wreck - Visayas
The MV San Juan is one of those wrecks that just hits different. You drop down, and it slowly materialises from the blue, usually with a fair bit of current to keep things interesting – that's why we mark it expert-only. This isn't some pristine, intact vessel; she was shelled during World War II, sank in 1944, and has spent decades breaking down. What you find now is a scattered, sprawling wreck. We love exploring the huge engine block, a real highlight, and picking through the cargo holds, where you can still imagine what she might have been carrying. There are plenty of swim-throughs, but they are tight and silty, so advanced wreck training is a definite plus. Moray eels are everywhere, peeking out from every crevice, and big groupers patrol the deeper sections. Keep an eye out for schooling jacks circling above the superstructure remnants. The San Juan is a proper piece of history, a working dive, and our pick for divers who appreciate a challenging, atmospheric wreck over a perfect, posed one. Get there early to beat any boat traffic, especially on weekends.
- Location
- Visayas, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 10.395400, 124.011700
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 31m
- Difficulty
- Expert
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 MV San Juan, wreck
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 MV San Juan, wreck
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