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The Philippines. Islands in the ocean — this is how, in the style of Hemingway, you can call 7,000 small islands in the Pacific Ocean. This is the Philippines, a country of beautiful beaches with coral sand, crystal clear turquoise water, fascinating nature, and amazing animals.

 

The islands have a tropical monsoon climate that turns into a subequatorial climate in the south. The temperature on the coast is 24-28 ° C, cooler in the mountains. The rainy season lasts from May to November. The dry season (from November to April) is expressed in the west of Luzon, Palawan, and the Visayas. Typhoons often hit the northern regions of the country, and tsunamis are possible.

 

The Philippine Islands are part of the Malay Archipelago. In the west, the islands are washed by the South China Sea, in the east by the Philippine Sea, in the south by the Sulawesi Sea, and in the north, the Philippine Islands are separated from Taiwan by the Bashi Strait. The coastline is 36.3 thousand km long. The total area of ​​the islands is 299.7 thousand km².

 

The official language is Tagalog. A significant part of the population speaks English. Spanish and Chinese are also common.

 

The national currency is the Philippine peso, which is 100 centavos.

 

Apo Reef National Park, west of Mindoro, is home to large fish species: manta rays, sharks, and eagle rays. In the northern Puerto Galera, you can see many tiny crustaceans, sea slugs, and seahorses. Puerto Galera is one of Asia's main centers of technical diving; many ships have sunk in the coastal waters. On the small island of Verde between the islands of Mindoro and Batangas, deep drop-offs and sea currents provide a diversity of species that is hard to find anywhere else, with biologists discovering over 300 species of coral.

 

Palawan. Located deep in the Sulu Sea, the Tubbataha Reefs, with an area of ​​over 100 square meters, are the largest reef complex in the Philippines. The reefs attract huge schools of fish, manta rays, sharks, and turtles. They are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The most convenient way to get to the reefs is from the port of Puerto Princesa, a 12-hour boat ride.

 

Coron. Sheer limestone cliffs and white beaches give way underwater to colorful sloping reefs. The reef population is numerous and diverse, and you can see endangered manatees and dugongs with a little luck. During World War II, a Japanese submarine fleet sank off the coast of Coron, creating a dive site that is especially attractive to wreck divers.

 

Cebu. The main star of the diving program in Malapascua is the thresher shark, which often swims into the local cleaning stations. Moalboal captivates with its variety of vegetation, carpeting the steep walls to the depths. The tiny island of Pescador is known for its drop-offs and grottoes, including the Cathedral Cave.

 

Negros. The island of Siquijor has a variety of underwater landscapes teeming with life. One is the Paliton Wall, which goes down to a depth of 40 m and is covered with large fan-shaped, black, and soft corals. Since the 70s, the waters around Apo Island have been under the protection and observation of scientists. Densely overgrown coral reefs surround the island. The dive sites of Sipawai are densely overgrown coral blocks, reef shallows, labyrinths of rock formations, and steep walls where you can meet stingrays, puffer fish, tube fish, barracudas, and groupers.

 

Bohol. Extra-class underwater panoramas with untouched coral gardens and colorful marine life await divers in the coastal waters of Balicasag, Panglao, Cabilao, and other places. The local underwater landscape has steep walls, mysterious crevices, and faults. Near Balicasag Island, you can see the Black Coral Forest at a depth of 30 meters. Turtle Point is also a favorite resting place for sea turtles.

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