Planning a trip?
Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Apo Reef location page.
Overview
Sheer wall on the northern edge of Apo Reef, dropping into deep blue water. Hammerheads and pelagic thresher are occasionally reported in the blue, and the wall itself is loaded with sea fans and barrel sponges.
What you'll see
4 species curated- rarePelagic thresher shark
- rareScalloped hammerhead
- rareManta ray
- year-roundSchooling barracuda
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- low confidencePelagic thresher shark
- Last confirmed
- May 2026
- Recent records
- 8 within 50 km
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- Wildbook (Sharkbook, Whale Shark, Manta Matcher) — Wild Me
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Feb | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Mar | 27–29 °C | 25–40 m | moderate |
| Apr | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | moderate |
| May | 28–30 °C | 25–40 m | moderate |
| Jun | 28–30 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Jul | 27–29 °C | 10–20 m | strong |
| Aug | 27–29 °C | 10–20 m | strong |
| Sep | 27–29 °C | 10–20 m | strong |
| Oct | 27–29 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Nov | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Dec | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- SMB — Standard drift exit.
Next step
Book your trip to Apo Reef
Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
Plan your trip →Some links earn us a commission. Learn more