Great Dive Sites at the Historic Subic Bay

Subic Bay (located in Olongapo) is 100 kilometers northwest of Manila on the west coast of Luzon Island in the province of Zambales, Philippines. The Subic Bay area was formerly home to a US Navy base, but was turned into an industrial area known as the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. Nestled in the pristine waters of the Subic Bay are wonderful dive sites composed of nineteen interesting dive sites, which includes a 19th century Spanish gunboat.

Wreck Diving in Subic

The Subic Bay boasts of a magnificent array of wreck dives. Since the Subic Bay was originally a site of a Spanish naval base in 1885 one of its oldest wreck dive site is the El Capitan. It is situated near the inner channel marker of the Ilanin Bay. The El Capitan lies on its port side with the stern in five meters and the bow resting in 20 meters. Average depth is at 23 meters and the maximum depth is 20 meters. One can encounter the average tropical fish species that frolic in the waters of the Subic Bay.

Home to different species of shallow water marine life, the Oryoku Maru is another dive site in the Subic Bay that is astoundingly filled with life. This dive site is located 400 meters off the Alava pier in the Subic Bay area. Maximum dive depth is 20 meters with visibility at 5-15 meters (depending on the time of the year). The marine life in this dive site is more varied including clown fishes, angelfishes, lobsters, barracudas, and spotted sweet lips that abound in the Subic Bay waters.

Another famous dive site in the Subic Bay is the World War I vintage battle cruiser USS New York. It was built in 1891 in Philadelphia and was scuttled in 1941 when the Japanese invaded the country. It lies on its port side in 85 feet of water. This historic ship still has its cannons intact and divers have categorized this dive site as the perfect spot for underwater photography. Lion fish, lapu-lapu, spotted rays, and lobsters can be observed in this dive site.

Probably the best dive site in the Subic Bay is that of a Japanese patrol boat. This vessel sits upright in the Triboa Bay at 20 to 25 meters in depth. Visibility is from seven to thirteen meters. This dive site is also famous for a nearby coral reef where divers can enjoy a vast array of coral and tropical fish.

After a really fantastic day of underwater exploring, prepare to be greeted by friendly old world charm and hospitality by the locals. The picturesque vista of a blue mountain and the sea with a backdrop of a virgin forest is truly breath-taking.

Getting to Subic Bay

You can get to Subic Bay by car from Manila in two and a half hours to four hours depending on traffic flow. A private car transfer from Manila to the Subic Bay can easily be arranged. If you plan to get to Subic Bay by bus you should take a shuttle to Angeles from Manila. There are daily trips from Manila to Angeles. From Angeles you take another shuttle to Subic Bay. You can be dropped off at your chosen destination in the Subic Bay area.

[Tags]Diving, Dive Sites, Subic, Philippines, Luzon, Dive, Angeles, Subic Bay, Olongapo, Diving in the Philippines, Scuba, Wreckdiving, Wreck Diving[/Tags]