Coron Night Diving — Wreck & Reef

Coron Bay holds one of the world's greatest concentrations of WWII wrecks, the fleet sunk during the US Navy's Operation Hailstone on 24 September 1944. This guided night diving trip takes certified divers down onto Coron's famous Japanese supply ships and gunboats after dusk, when the reef wakes up and the wrecks take on a completely different character. Beams of torchlight pick out coral-encrusted hull frames, swim-throughs, and the silhouettes of sleeping fish as the warm Palawan water turns inky black around you.

The dive plan combines a shallow wreck such as the Skeleton Wreck, a 25-metre supply ship resting between 5 and 22 metres and completely overtaken by hard and soft coral, with a healthy fringing reef nearby. Night brings out the nocturnal residents: scorpionfish and crocodile fish hunting on the sand, nudibranchs creeping over the wreckage, hunting lionfish, sleeping parrotfish in their mucus cocoons, and the occasional moray out on the prowl. The relatively shallow depths and famously calm, warm bay make Coron an ideal place for your first or hundredth night dive.

You dive with a local divemaster who knows every plate and porthole of these wrecks, carries a primary and backup torch for the group, and keeps the team tight in the dark. It is an atmospheric, slightly eerie, and unforgettable way to experience some of the most storied dive sites in the Philippines.