Dauin Marine Sanctuary

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.