Trip base · Philippines
Dumaguete and Apo Island
Four sites around Dumaguete on Negros. Dauin and Dumaguete are muck dives for macro life, Apo Island is a community-protected reef with many sea turtles, and Siquijor has quieter reefs. Every site is Intermediate.
Fair fit for January
Whale sharks
- Strength: 4 of 4 sites are in season in January
- Strength: Water 26–27°C in January
- Trade-off: Rain on most days
Pack a 3 mm wetsuit for January.
Why this match: 34 + 9 + 19 + 7 = 69
- Season34 / 38
- 4 of 4 sites are in season in January; calm on more than half the days.
- Interests9 / 31
- Whale sharks: possible in January.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 4 sites count.
- Weather7 / 13
- Rain on most days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: best November to May. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Best | February: Best | March: Best | April: Best | May: Best | June: Off season | July: Off season | August: Off season | September: Off season | October: Off season | November: Best | December: Best |
| Mantas | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Whale sharks | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Hammerheads | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: We don't know yet | April: We don't know yet | May: We don't know yet | June: We don't know yet | July: We don't know yet | August: We don't know yet | September: We don't know yet | October: We don't know yet | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Reef sharks | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Turtles | January: Reliable | February: Reliable | March: Reliable | April: Reliable | May: Reliable | June: Reliable | July: Reliable | August: Reliable | September: Reliable | October: Reliable | November: Reliable | December: Reliable |
| Dolphins | January: We don't know yet | February: We don't know yet | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Possible | November: We don't know yet | December: We don't know yet |
| Water | 27° | 27° | 27° | 28° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 29° | 28° |
| Rain days | 23 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 23 | 25 | 25 | 21 | 23 | 28 | 27 | 27 |
| Calm days | 21 | 21 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 30 | 28 | 25 |
| Storm risk | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 23% | 20% |
Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).
Dive sites here
4 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.
Getting there
Fly to Dumaguete (DGT). Road to the Dauin resorts; Apo Island is a boat day trip: about 45 minutes.
Shore or day boat.
What diving costs
A day of diving from about €40
A day of diving
Mike's Dauin Beach Resort: PHP 4,000 for 2 dives (about €57)
2 Dauin dives (page does not say boat or shore). Includes Marine Park fees, taxes and service charges, tea/coffee/water, towels. Excludes rental gear (full set P 300 per dive or P 600 per day), Nitrox P 250 per dive.
Mike's Dauin Beach Resort: PHP 6,400 for 3 dives (about €91)
Apo Island day trip, 3 dives, including marine fees, hot lunch, refreshments, tanks and weights; temporary fuel surcharge of P 500 per person from 12 April 2026 on top; minimum diver numbers and weather apply; rental gear extra.
Harold's Dive Center (Dumaguete): PHP 2,800 for 2 dives (about €40)
Dauin 2 fun dives, shore entry, certified divers only. Includes dive gear. Excludes entrance fees and government taxes, land transfers, gratuities. (Same site lists Apo Island 2 fun dives at PHP 4,800 on https://haroldsdivecenter.com/; inclusions not checked.)
Prices as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
Non-divers can snorkel the Dauin marine sanctuaries straight off the beach, where the reef starts just off the shoreline, and dive shops run Apo Island snorkel day trips by boat.
Sources: earthvagabonds.com, mikes-beachresort.com
Book your Dumaguete and Apo Island trip
- Book an Apo Island dive day on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.
Where this comes from
- Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
- Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
- Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
- Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.
Marine life sources (5 species)
- Mantas: liveaboard.com, atmosphereresorts.com, dive-the-world.com
- Whale sharks: liveaboard.com, atmosphereresorts.com
- Reef sharks: sea-explorers.com, atmosphereresorts.com
- Turtles: dive-the-world.com, atmosphereresorts.com
- Dolphins: islandsphilippines.com, dive-the-world.com
Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.