(Hammerhead) Shark diving in Philippines Aug-Sept

[Clemens van Andel]

Dear members of ScubaBoard,

I am going to travel Southeast Asia the following months and I am planning on visiting the Philippines from the second half of August until half September.

I am DM certified and I am absolutely obsessed with diving with sharks. This is also why I am planning to visit Malapascua, to dive with the Thresher sharks. However, I have never been so lucky to dive with hammerhead sharks. I am reading on the internet that there are various spots in the Philippines where the chance exists to encounter hammerheads. Unfortunately most of these spots are only accessible by Liveaboard, or I am visiting in the wrong season to see the hammerheads (Malapascua for example).

Since I will be traveling on a budget I am trying to avoid the Liveaboards. Hence my question to you is: Do you know of any places in the Philippines where I might have an actual chance to see hammerheads in August/September without having to be on a liveaboard?

All other advice on diving with sharks and other big stuff is also highly appreciated!

Tank you,

Clemens

 

[Scandi Divers]

You might get lucky to see them at Apo Reef off Mindoro Island if the weather is ok. Sadly you are traveling in the typhoon season so your options are very limited. Check out the Apo Reef club for more details on that. The best place to see them is Tubbataha reef but the season runs from March until June each year and this is done by liveaboard only.

 

[Tippytoes12]

Dear members of ScubaBoard,

I am going to travel Southeast Asia the following months and I am planning on visiting the Philippines from the second half of August until half September.

I am DM certified and I am absolutely obsessed with diving with sharks. This is also why I am planning to visit Malapascua, to dive with the Thresher sharks. However, I have never been so lucky to dive with hammerhead sharks. I am reading on the internet that there are various spots in the Philippines where the chance exists to encounter hammerheads. Unfortunately most of these spots are only accessible by Liveaboard, or I am visiting in the wrong season to see the hammerheads (Malapascua for example).

Since I will be traveling on a budget I am trying to avoid the Liveaboards. Hence my question to you is: Do you know of any places in the Philippines where I might have an actual chance to see hammerheads in August/September without having to be on a liveaboard?

All other advice on diving with sharks and other big stuff is also highly appreciated!

Tank you,

Clemens

We have dived the Philippines many times and we have seen the most sharks in Malapascua. Apo sounds fab too.

You have a very good chance of seeing hammerheads in the Southern Red Sea sites , Daedalus or the Brothers.I realise that you are going to Asia , which is wonderful, but see that you are from the Netherlands , so thought that I would mention it !

Have a fab trip !

 

[ocdiver1]

In 12-15 trips or so diving all around the Philippines i've never once seen a hammerhead. You will absolutely see thresher sharks when you visit Malapascua though. If you'd like to pm i'd be happy to give you recommendations for great places to see hammerheads elsewhere in the world for future trips

 

[Centrals]

I had met someone called Larry(a Yankee) telling me that hammerheads were around Cabilao all those yrs ago(20+). But I never seen one on all my subsequent visit(day trip from Anlona Beach).
I had also met several divers in PG who also had the luck to see one or two of them yrs ago.

Aug/Sep is too warm for them. They love cold water.