Diving

Coron Night Diving — WW2 Wrecks After Dark

📍 Coron, Palawan★★★★½4.8⏱ 3 hours

⏱ 3 hours✅ Free cancellation📱 Instant confirmation🌍 English guide👥 Small group

About this tour

The wrecks of Coron Bay transform completely after sunset. Marine creatures that hide in crevices during the day emerge at night: hunting octopuses pull themselves across the hull, enormous lionfish drift like feathered ghosts in the torch beams, and sea urchins move slowly across the coral searching for algae. Most spectacular of all is the phosphorescent plankton — turn off your torch and wave your hand; the water erupts in cold blue-green light, a natural bioluminescence show that many divers call the most magical experience of their diving lives.

This guided 2-tank night dive targets the Okikawa Maru and one additional wreck selected based on conditions, typically the shallower Bugad Cave section. Night diving the wrecks requires Advanced Open Water certification and dive experience — this is not a course, it's a guided dive for qualified divers who want Coron's most extraordinary after-dark experience.

The dive boat departs at 6:00 PM, entering the water just after sunset when the transition from day to night life is at its most dramatic. Total time in the water is approximately 100 minutes across two dives. All equipment is high-powered torch-equipped and safety-rated for night diving.

Highlights

✓Dive Coron's WW2 wrecks after dark — a completely different world from daytime diving
✓Observe hunting octopuses, ghost-like lionfish, and grazing sea urchins on the wreck hull
✓Witness phosphorescent plankton — wave your hand in the dark water and it explodes in blue-green light
✓2-tank guided dive for qualified Advanced Open Water divers
✓High-powered dive torches included — illuminate a wreck festooned in night-blooming coral polyps
✓Depart at sunset for the dramatic transition from day to night marine life

What's included

✓2-tank guided night dive on iconic WW2 wrecks
✓Full scuba equipment (BCD, regulator, wetsuit, tank, weights)
✓Primary and backup dive torch
✓PADI Divemaster guide (max 3:1 ratio)
✓Safety sausage and reel
✓Post-dive hot drink and snack on the boat

About the area

Coron Bay's protected waters and minimal boat traffic at night make it one of Southeast Asia's safest and most rewarding night diving locations. The phosphorescent plankton (Noctiluca scintillans) is present year-round but most dense October-December after seasonal rains bring nutrients into the bay.

Frequently asked questions

What certification is required for night diving?

PADI Advanced Open Water (or equivalent CMAS/SSI) is required. Night Specialty certification is recommended but not mandatory if you have logged 20+ dives.

Is night diving on wrecks more dangerous?

With a qualified guide, no. The divemaster knows every section of the wreck. You always enter and exit on a line, and backup torches are mandatory equipment.

What is phosphorescent plankton?

Noctiluca scintillans is a bioluminescent marine organism. Mechanical disturbance (like waving your hand) triggers a chemical reaction that produces cold blue-green light. Completely harmless.

Can I do a night dive if I have only done daytime dives before?

Yes, if you are Advanced certified. The guide briefs all divers extensively before entry. Night diving is disorienting at first but quickly becomes intuitive.