Dauin Marine Sanctuary
Dumaguete · Philippines
Dauin Marine Sanctuary is the benchmark muck dive of the Philippines, a gently sloping black-sand volcanic seafloor lined with coral rubble, hydroids, and whip corals that shelter one of the densest aggregations of macro life on the planet. Pygmy seahorses grip sea fans at 20 metres while ornate ghost pipefish hover motionless among crinoids, and flamboyant cuttlefish waddle across the sand in their unmistakable polychromatic display. The site is shore-accessible and diveable year-round, with night dives revealing mandarin fish spawning at dusk in a display that draws photographers from around the world.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 18 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Current | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Blacksaddle Toby
Last confirmed May 4, 2026 · 120 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Ornate Ghostpipefish
Last confirmed May 4, 2026 · 76 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Dusky Nembrotha
Last confirmed Jun 27, 2026 · 65 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Banded Coral Shrimp
Last confirmed Apr 27, 2026 · 63 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Dwarf Lionfish
Last confirmed Apr 25, 2026 · 50 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Flamboyant Cuttlefish
Last confirmed May 29, 2026 · 38 records
Very likely
Most dives
Mandarinfish
Last confirmed Mar 21, 2026 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Pygmy Seahorse
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear