Visayas Odyssey (Cebu - Cebu)

Seadoors · Philippines · 9 nights

Duration
9 nights
Embarkation
Cebu City, Philippines
Disembarkation
Cebu City, Philippines
Dives
Approximately 24 dives in total

About this route

Embark on an unforgettable diving odyssey through the Visayas, exploring the best dive sites from north to south and east to west. This journey offers encounters with thresher sharks at Monad Shoal, wreck dives, and unique night dives. Further south, divers can experience encounters with whale sharks, explore vibrant coral reefs, and discover diverse macro life.

Regions on this route

MalapascuaVisayasCebuBoholGato IslandApo Island

Highlights

Apo Island

Apo Island is a marine sanctuary famous for its exceptionally healthy and pristine coral reefs. The island's waters are teeming with diverse marine life, including numerous sea turtles and a wide array of reef fish. It is considered a model for successful marine conservation, offering spectacular reef diving.

  • Pristine coral reefs
  • Marine sanctuary
  • Abundant sea turtles
  • High biodiversity

Bohol

Bohol is celebrated for its beautiful coral gardens and unique marine inhabitants, such as mandarin fish. Dive sites like Anda Bay offer excellent opportunities for macro photography, while the island also provides distinct land-based attractions like the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers.

  • Mandarin fish sightings
  • Coral gardens
  • Land excursions

Cebu

Cebu serves as a central hub for diving in the Visayas, with access to famous sites like Malapascua and Oslob. The waters around Cebu offer a mix of vibrant reefs, interesting macro life, and opportunities for larger marine animal encounters, catering to various diving preferences.

  • Central diving hub
  • Vibrant reefs
  • Diverse marine life

Gato Island

Gato Island is a protected marine reserve known for its fascinating underwater cave system and abundant marine life. Divers often encounter whitetip reef sharks resting in the caves and a variety of macro creatures along its vibrant reefs. It's a site celebrated for its unique geological features and biodiversity.

  • Underwater caves
  • Whitetip reef sharks
  • Macro life
  • Marine reserve

Malapascua

Malapascua is an island renowned for its exceptional dive sites, particularly Monad Shoal, where thresher sharks are commonly sighted. The area features diverse topography including wrecks and underwater tunnels, providing varied diving experiences.

  • Thresher shark encounters
  • Wreck diving
  • Unique topography

Visayas

The Visayas region encompasses a vast array of dive sites, offering a comprehensive experience of the Philippines' marine biodiversity. It is known for its rich coral reefs, diverse marine life, and opportunities for both macro and pelagic encounters, making it a prime destination for divers.

  • Rich marine biodiversity
  • Diverse dive sites
  • Macro and pelagic life

Requirements

  • CertificationOpen Water
  • Minimum logged dives30
  • ExperienceA minimum of 30 logged dives is required for this trip.

Shore excursions

  • Experience an underground freshwater bath in Camotes islands.
  • Explore the Chocolate Hills in Bohol.
  • Observe tarsiers in Bohol.

Day-by-day plan

  1. Day 1: Embarkation – Cebu City

    Guests will embark in Cebu City. After settling into cabins and receiving a welcome briefing, the vessel will depart at nightfall for Monad Shoal. This initial journey sets the stage for an exciting exploration of the Visayas' underwater wonders.

  2. Day 2: Malapascua – Thresher Sharks & Wreck

    Today's diving focuses on Monad Shoal, renowned for thresher shark sightings, particularly at dawn. The area is characterized by a seamount where these elusive sharks come for cleaning. Divers will also explore the Dona Marilyn wreck and the Gato Island Tunnel, offering diverse topography, and an extraordinary night dive is planned, often revealing unique nocturnal creatures.

    Dive sites: Monad Shoal, Dona Marilyn wreck, Gato Island Tunnel

  3. Day 3: Camotes Islands – Underwater Caves

    After exploring Malapascua, the journey heads south towards Camotes Islands. The diving in this region often features interesting underwater formations and varying reef topographies. An important highlight of the day includes a land excursion to experience an underground freshwater bath, combining both aquatic and terrestrial exploration.

  4. Day 4: Pintuyan – Whale Sharks & Macro Life

    Today, the vessel continues south to Pintuyan, a known area for encountering whale sharks. The reefs here are often vibrant, with a mixture of soft and hard corals. Divers will also explore the remarkable site of Napantao, which is particularly known for its diverse macro life, including various species of frogfish and pygmy seahorses, indicating a rich ecosystem for critter hunting.

    Dive sites: Napantao

  5. Day 5: Bohol – Anda Bay & Chocolate Hills

    The journey proceeds to Bohol, specifically Anda Bay, an area known for its vibrant reef systems and unique marine creatures, including mandarin fish. The underwater landscape often features sloping reefs and healthy coral gardens, providing excellent opportunities for photography. A land excursion to explore the iconic Chocolate Hills and observe tarsiers is also planned for the day, offering a blend of diving and cultural experiences.

    Dive sites: Anda Bay

  6. Day 6: Apo Island – Untouched Reefs

    Today's diving focuses on Apo Island, renowned for its pristine and untouched coral reefs, showcasing a large underwater diversity. The area is known for vibrant hard and soft coral formations, often supporting a rich array of reef fish and invertebrates. Divers can expect healthy ecosystems and opportunities to observe various marine species in their natural habitat, making it a highlight for biodiversity.

    Dive sites: Apo Island

  7. Day 7: Oslob – Whale Shark Encounters

    The expedition continues further south to Oslob, famous for its whale shark interactions. This unique experience allows for close observation of these gentle giants. While the focus is on whale sharks, the surrounding waters often feature interesting reef formations with varied marine life. The day is centered around these iconic encounters, providing a memorable diving experience.

    Dive sites: Oslob

  8. Day 8: Cabilao Island – Rich Underwater Diversity

    The trip concludes its diving activities at Cabilao Island, celebrated for its untouched coral reefs and significant underwater diversity. This area is often characterized by walls, slopes, and pinnacles adorned with abundant hard and soft corals. The rich ecosystem commonly supports a wide variety of reef fish, macro creatures, and occasional pelagic sightings, offering a comprehensive final day of diving.

    Dive sites: Cabilao Island

  9. Day 9: Departure – Cebu City

    Today marks the final day of the trip, with disembarkation taking place in Cebu City. Guests will enjoy breakfast onboard before preparing for their onward travel. Departure logistics will depend on individual flight schedules.

  10. Day 10: Disembarkation – Cebu City, Philippines

    After breakfast, guests prepare to leave the vessel in Cebu City, Philippines with disembarkation Depends on local flight times. The crew assists with departure arrangements and onward airport transfers where applicable.

Upcoming departures

  • 2026-11-18 – 2026-11-27from 3,352.47 USDBook
  • 2027-02-13 – 2027-02-22from 3,432.02 USDBook
  • 2027-12-29 – 2028-01-07from 3,432.02 USDBook
  • 2028-02-07 – 2028-02-16from 3,511.57 USDBook

All routes of this liveaboard

About the vessel

SeadoorsSeadoorsPhilippines
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