The sunken fleet of Coron Bay

Swim over the hulls of Japanese ships sunk in a single morning in 1944, now covered in coral and patrolled by schools of fish.

Area

Coron & the Calamianes

Start from

Coron town

Distance

wreck sites 20–90 minutes by boat

Time needed

1–3 days

Best season

November – May; diving possible most of the year

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Dive boat or snorkelling bangka from Coron town

Tickets & rules

Dive fees through licensed operators; certification required for penetration dives

Why go

Coron Bay holds one of the world’s best wreck-diving sites, a cluster of Japanese supply ships and auxiliary vessels sunk in World War II. For divers, there are deep hulls to explore, holds still holding cargo, and engine rooms. For snorkellers, a few shallow wrecks lie close enough to the surface that you can see their outlines from above.

Swimming over a wreck is an eerie experience. The structures are unmistakably man-made, with straight lines and portholes, but corals and sponges have softened them into something like a reef. Batfish drift past, and lionfish hover by railings. The ships are now habitats, even memorials of a kind.

I snorkelled the Lusong Gunboat at low tide, its stern almost breaking the surface, and floated above its corroded steel for a long while. It is hard to imagine the violence of the attack while the water around you is so blue and calm. Somewhere below me, a small grouper watched from a hatch as if it had been posted there as a guard.

The story

On 24 September 1944, aircraft from American carriers attacked a fleet of Japanese ships sheltering in Coron Bay and nearby waters. In a single raid, many vessels were sunk or badly damaged. Today, around a dozen wrecks are regularly dived, including the Irako, a large refrigeration and supply ship, and the Akitsushima, a seaplane tender.

The wrecks lie at varied depths, from just a few metres to over 40 metres. Some have collapsed and are now flattened shapes, while others remain largely intact, with holds and passageways that experienced divers can enter. Their condition changes over time as steel corrodes and storms shift sediments.

For decades after the war, local fishermen knew of the wrecks but they were rarely visited. Some metal was salvaged in the following years. Recreational divers began exploring them in the 1970s and 1980s, and Coron has since built a reputation as a wreck-diving destination, alongside its lakes and lagoons.

Getting there

Book with a licensed dive centre in Coron town; they will choose wrecks according to your experience and the conditions. Snorkelling trips to shallow wrecks such as Skeleton Wreck and the Lusong Gunboat can be arranged by many island-hopping tours.

Most dives are boat dives with two or three wrecks per day. Some of the deeper wrecks lie well over an hour from town, so expect long boat rides and early starts. Liveaboard trips occasionally cover the wrecks over several days.

A suggested plan

1. 7:30Meet at the dive centre for a briefing and gear check.
2. 8:30Boat out to the first wreck, such as the Okikawa Maru or Olympia Maru.
3. 11:00Second dive or snorkel on a shallower wreck.
4. 13:00Lunch on the boat or a nearby beach.
5. 14:30A final dive or return to town, depending on your plans.

Where to stay

Coron town is the hub for dive centres. Look for accommodation close to the pier to make early mornings simpler.

Good to know

• Check that your dive centre is licensed and well reviewed.
• Wreck penetration requires specific training; don’t enter beyond your experience level.
• Bring a long-sleeved rash guard for protection against stinging hydroids on the wrecks.
• Non-divers can still see a wreck: ask for a snorkelling trip to the Lusong Gunboat or Skeleton Wreck.
• Visibility is usually best in the dry months, though it varies with plankton.