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📷 Leonardo Lamas · Pexels

Bujong Shoal

3.6 — based on 21 community signals
4.2 12 species 24 contributors

Bujong Shoal is a year-round Philippine dive site with healthy coral and diverse marine life in an unrestricted area.

⭐ Best for beginners.

updated 4 months ago
Difficulty
Beginner
Shore entryFamily-friendlyBeginner

At a glance

Activity
dive
Difficulty
beginner
Best months
Year-round

Top operators here

See all operators ↓

Map

This spot Operators Airport Nearby spots
Bujong Shoal location map © Google · Map data © Google, contributors
Open in Google Maps

Conditions today

Conditions

Open-Meteo
Wind
7 kn
Wave
0.38 m
Water
29.6°C
N E S W
Wind direction (7d)
Primary: WSW (41%)
Now: SW (227°)
Tide (7 days)
range: 1.35m

Next: High at 02:00 (+1.32m)

+1.3 m0 m-0.0 m
▲ 02:00 · +1.32m ▼ 10:00 · +0.23m ▲ 16:00 · +0.39m ▲ 03:00 · +1.24m
Sat 19Sun 20Mon 21Tue 22Wed 23Thu 24Fri 25
UV9.15 · very high Air PM2.528 · moderate 05:29 17:37
Day Wind Wave UV Rain
09-19 9 0.48 9 3mm
09-20 11.4 0.46 9 7mm
09-21 13.5 0.42 6 12mm
09-22 11.5 0.52 9 17mm
09-23 5.8 0.18 2 2mm
09-24 5.2 0.1 7 7mm
09-25 6.3 0.22 9 4mm

About this spot

Bujong Shoal sits in Philippine waters as an accessible dive destination open to divers year-round. The site shows no signs of coral stress, indicating thriving reef conditions. Community observations have documented 12 distinct species at the shoal, giving divers reliable wildlife spotting opportunities. Three community-contributed videos offer preview footage of conditions and marine encounters. The site operates outside Marine Protected Areas, meaning standard diving access applies without special permit requirements. This makes planning straightforward for independent divers or small groups. Healthy coral conditions suggest good underwater structure and habitat for both common and less frequently spotted species. Divers planning a visit should check current conditions with local dive operators before departure, as shoal sites can experience seasonal changes in visibility and current. The year-round access window means flexibility in booking, though specific months may offer optimal conditions depending on regional weather patterns.

📖 Guide: Diving in the Philippines: 119 Sites, Wrecks & Walls Worth the Flight

Best months

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Dive types

Reef

Trip essentials

Everything you need before you pack — checklist, sun, logistics.

Trip checklist

  • 🛂 Visa-free or visa-on-arrival
  • 📜 C-card + dive insurance (DAN)
  • 📔 Dive logbook
  • 🧴 Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 50+
  • 🔌 Plug type A/B/C · 220V adapter
  • 💊 Seasickness meds + ear drops
  • 📱 Offline maps + emergency contact

Quick facts

  • 🌓 Moon First quarter · 47%
  • GPS
Sustainability disclosures
🌍 CO2 footprint LHR ↔ 11434km · ~2630kg · €47

From your departure country

United States
Origin score: 54/100
  • Visa: Visa on arrival · 30 days max
  • Flight: 12h · direct
  • Jet-lag: 11h east · 8 days recovery

FAQ

Can I dive Bujong Shoal year-round?

Yes. Bujong Shoal is accessible as a dive destination throughout the year with no seasonal closure. Local conditions and weather should guide trip timing for best experience.

What marine life have divers reported here?

Community observations document 12 species at Bujong Shoal. Three community videos show marine encounters. Coral health is excellent with no bleaching stress recorded, supporting diverse reef life.

Do I need permits or special access?

Bujong Shoal is not within a Marine Protected Area, so standard diving access applies. No additional permits are required beyond normal Philippines diving regulations.

What should I know before booking?

Depth and difficulty data for this site are not widely documented. Contact local operators for current conditions, visibility forecasts, and recommended experience levels before planning your dive.

Operators near this spot

Dive centres, kite & surf schools within 10 km, sourced from OpenStreetMap.

Bonnie's place

2.5 km
Dive centre

Günter's wall

3.1 km
Dive centre

Adrian's Cove

4.1 km
Dive centre

Recently spotted by divers

iNaturalist →

Verified marine species observations

93 records · 50 species · sources: OBIS, GBIF

Periclimenes colemani

Malacostraca · Palaemonidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×5records

Doto ussi

Gastropoda · Dotidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×3records

Hymenocera picta

Malacostraca · Palaemonidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×2records

Zebrida adamsii

Malacostraca · Pilumnidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×2records

Discodoris boholiensis

Gastropoda · Discodorididae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×2records

Thaumoctopus mimicus

Cephalopoda · Octopodidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×1records

Cuapetes tenuipes

Malacostraca · Palaemonidae
GBIF
Last seen:
16 Mar 2026
×1records

Neopetrolisthes maculatus

Malacostraca · Porcellanidae
GBIF
Last seen:
15 Mar 2026
×2records

Goniobranchus geometricus

Gastropoda · Chromodorididae
GBIF
Last seen:
15 Mar 2026
×1records

Miropandalus hardingi

Malacostraca · Chlorotocellidae
GBIF
Last seen:
15 Mar 2026
×1records

Ardeadoris egretta

Gastropoda · Chromodorididae
GBIF
Last seen:
14 Mar 2026
×1records

Unidentia sandramillenae

Gastropoda · Unidentiidae
GBIF
Last seen:
13 Mar 2026
×1records

Data: 187,991 observations from OBIS (Ocean Biodiversity Information System) and GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility). CC-BY 4.0.

See this spot in action

YouTube videos — click to play.

Whale Shark Tagging in The Philippines

Hakai Magazine
💬 3 top comments
  • Only 6 were found - does this support it's classification as 'Vulnerable'? Especially as it's still fished by one of the largest countries in the world. I hope this study will help conserve them - they're one of the nicest animals in the Ocean. I look forward to reading the results

    @catsoflondon · 👍 3
  • cool

    @chelseabergado3515 · 👍 1
  • How is it going?

    @moe_lester3904 · 👍 0

The 9 Best Dive Sites in the Philippines: Macro, Pelagics and Biomass

NNT Productions (Nomad Nature Travel)
💬 3 top comments
  • Wow it's amazing

    @jhunevillena9904 · 👍 1
  • What a lovely share! Diving the Philippines is one of my dream destinations. Thank you for the gorgeous tour.

    @lydialeigh4 · 👍 0
  • A very nice Video! On my personal Top 9 Dive Sites I would change Donsol against Southern Leyte! There you find Whale Sharks as well, and additional Macro Stuff at Malibogs "Little Lembeh". The Hard Corals of Southern Leyte are in my opinion the nicest all over the country. Unfortunately there is no more opportunity to Dive at the "Padre Burgos Pier".

    @CHEFTAUCHER · 👍 0

Diving the Amazing Philippines 🦈

PADI
💬 3 top comments
  • I know how to scuba dive already I’ve learned I scuba dived in the phillipens and the pacific and the Atlantic

    @Officalstink · 👍 3
  • Wow...

    @JohnSmith-bz9be · 👍 0
  • We learned to dive with Action Divers at La Laguna some years ago and in spite of diving right throughout the Pacific and 4 different sites on the Great Barrier Reef we have not found any better sites. The warm water, amazing clarity and varieties of fish and corals is unsurpassed. We went back for a return trip some years later and it still blew us away. Put it on your bucket list. You won't be

    @viviennestraight9820 · 👍 3
wind peaks Jul-Feb-Jan, calmest Sep-Oct-Jun.

5-year monthly climate

60 samples
0 5 10 15 20 25 JFMAMJJASOND
p25–p75 range Median Wind (kn) Air (°C)
Visibility (month-by-month)
Best: Aug (100/100) Worst: Jan (0/100) Now: Sep (100/100) NOAA MODIS Aqua · 5y mean

Nearby spots

Bonnie's place Philippines Diving
🇵🇭 Philippines

Bonnie's place

Bonnie's Place is a year-round Philippine dive site with healthy coral and 12 recorded species observations.

Beginner Jan·Feb·Mar+
Günter's wall Philippines Diving
🇵🇭 Philippines

Günter's wall

Günter's Wall is a year-round Philippine dive site with healthy coral and diverse marine life, backed by community observations and video records.

Intermediate Jan·Feb·Mar+
Adrian's Cove Philippines Diving
🇵🇭 Philippines

Adrian's Cove

Adrian's Cove delivers year-round diving in the Philippines with healthy coral and rich marine biodiversity.

Beginner Jan·Feb·Mar+

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