Dive· Negros (Dauin)· Philippines
Dauin Muck Diving and Masaplod Sanctuaries
9° 10.9′ N · 123° 15.4′ E
Black-sand slopes compared to Lembeh Strait for critters: frogfish of about 11 species, mimic, wonderpus and blue-ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, ghost pipefish and seahorses, most of it diveable straight from the beach. Coral and turtles are at the Masaplod sanctuary.
Practical
Position: Masaplod Norte (OpenStreetMap). Sites (philippinedives.com, 2026): Masaplod Sanctuary (5-30 m, turtles, flamboyant cuttlefish), Secret Corner (octopus; go before 8am), El Dorado, Ginama Point (night dives), Dauin North, Cars (24-28 m, advanced; OSM 9.1830N 123.2660E), and the DuCoMi coconut-mill pier (advanced, only when no ship is docked). Fees: sanctuary fee PHP 140 per dive standard, PHP 200 with a camera (philippinedives.com Dumaguete guide, 2026). Wikivoyage reports a municipal fee of about PHP 50 to snorkel the 'Marina' sanctuary at the end of J. Basa St, where turtles are sometimes seen. Frogfish peak Feb-May; octopus mating Oct-Dec. Booties for rocky shore entries. Aquarius Restaurant beside the Masaplod sanctuary does Thai and European food (Wikivoyage, 2023).
Best for
World-class macro and muck diving
Season
Year-round; frogfish peak Feb-May
Nearby
- Aquarius Restaurant (Dauin)Right here
- Dauin Anchorage1.1 NM away
- Dauin Town Restaurants1.1 NM away
- Malatapay Market and Apo Boat Landing4.4 NM away
- Apo Island Lighthouse Trail6 NM away
- Apo Island Fees and Rules6.3 NM away
- Apo Island Turtles (Chapel Beach)6.3 NM away
- Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape6.5 NM away