Diving is easy here at the Bahura Resort and Spa. A few steps from the beach will   lead you to our own house reef. Sea grasses give way to coral bommies filled with   crinoids and ornamental fish. A sloping reef of hard corals down to about 23   meters   give way to a sandy area filled with soft corals.

We also have several destinations served by our purpose built bancas. After a   leisurely breakfast, hop on and let us show why Dauin is one of the Philippines   leading dive destinations.

Apo Island

Half an hour away is world famous Apo Island. A 72 hectare volcanic island, it has a “Marine Reserve” designation and is included in the Philippines’ NIPA’s LIST (Nationally Integrated Protected Areas) The waters around these islands are full of     both soft and hard corals, schools of jacks and other marine fishes. Because of

  its exceptional marine life, the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago has chosen it to be 

  their centerpiece attraction of an underwater eco-system.

  Trips to Apo Island is a mini dive safari and a great favorite of our guests. This

  island boasts of 10 dive sites although it is possible to start at one site, ride the

  predictable currents and end at another.

  We plan a whole day out on a large, comfortable outrigger banca, with 2 dives in

  the morning, an on-board packed lunch, complimentary coffee, tea and towels and

  then one more dive in the afternoon before we head back in time for afternoon

  cocktails or a well deserved massage.

 

Dauin and Masaplod Sanctuaries

Closer to home, we offer boat dives to sites that usually take less than 10 minutes to access. These are the Dauin and Masaplod Sanctuaries, the Dumaguete Coconut Mill Piers, the Dauin banca and car wrecks.

THE DAUIN Sanctuary is a garden of hard corals that stretch from close to the shore   down to about 30 meters. Macro photographers can be found hovering around the

5 to 10 meter depths where the brown volcanic sand and seagrasses hide   nudibranchs, harlequin ghost pipefish, pygmy sea horses and lionfishes.

A second dive to the Dauin banca wreck and cars that were purposely sank is now   home to frog fishes, batfishes and others that use the artificial reefs as cleaning   stations.

Nearby Masaplod Sanctuary is a basketball court size area that is full of juvenile   jacks, a turtle or two, rabbitfish, sweetlips, angelfishes and giant emperor fishes.   Although the smallest of all the sanctuaries, it has 50 percent more target food fish  species than Apo or Dauin. If you’re into fish photography, this is the place to go to, as the residents go about their business, unmindful of visitors in their midst.

Piers always provide terrific photos opportunities and the one at the Dumaguete Coco Mill is no exception. The pillars act as artificial reefs and have healthy growths of fan corals, sponges which harbor critters such as seahorses, frogfish and harlequin ghost pipefish. If you’re into critter hunting, then you will be in seventh heaven.

A beach entry will bring the diver to a field of sea grasses that give way to coral bommies filled with crinoids and ornamental fish. Fin past and find a sloping reef of hard corals down to about 23 meters. Go deeper to find a sandy area filled with beautiful soft corals.

Facing seaward from the beach, snorklers and divers can find an intact reef of hard corals as good as any to be found. Some are less than 5 meters from the surface so good buoyancy is a must. No standing on the corals please!

Dauin Banca and Car Wrecks
5-30 Meters
Beginners to Advanced

In front of the resort of the Negros Recreational Divers or Nrds for short lie the remains of a giant banca and several vehicles. It is interesting to poke (figuratively of course !) around the 2 artificial reef for critters such as pipefish, dwarf lionfishes, sea horses and frogfishes. Divers should also be careful of scorpion and stonefishes which have made the wrecks their home. Closer to the shore, the seagrass beds hide more critters such as nudibranchs, bobtail squid and harlequin ghostpipefish. The mimic octopus has been spotted and photographed here too.

Dauin Sanctuary
5-30 Meters
Beginners to Advanced

The marked feature of this site is a reef full of hard corals sweeping down to about 25 meters. Staghorn, lettuce, cabbage corals all abound. Near the sandy area is an artificial reef made up of old tires which is full of cardinal and other juvenile fishes.

Dumaguete Coco Oil Mill Pier
5-30 Meters
Advanced

Access to this place is limited only when ships are not in port. The lucky diver who gets a chance to visit this unique site can find pylons overgrown with sea fans, colorful sponges and other soft coral inhabited by critters dear to the macro enthusiast. This is muck diving-minus the muck-at its best.

Masaplod Sanctuary
5-30 meters
Beginner to Advanced

A basketball court size area that is full of juvenile jacks, a turtle or two, rabbitfish, sweetlips, angelfishes and giant emperor fishes. Although the smallest of all the sanctuaries, it has 50 percent more target food fish species than Apo or Dauin. If you’re into fish photography, this is the place to go to, as the residents go about their business, unmindful of visitors in their midst.

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