Palawan sights
Coron Shipwreck Diving
Coron Bay holds one of the world's best clusters of WWII shipwrecks — a fleet of Japanese supply ships sunk in 1944, now coral-encrusted dive sites in clear, sheltered water suitable for both snorkellers and divers.
About
Coron is one of the world's premier wreck-diving destinations, thanks to a fleet of Japanese ships that was caught and sunk here by a US air raid on 24 September 1944. More than a dozen wrecks — supply ships, gunboats, and a seaplane tender — now lie on the sheltered seabed of Coron Bay, transformed over the decades into artificial reefs draped in coral and teeming with fish. The variety is what makes them special: some wrecks sit shallow enough that even snorkellers can peer down at the hulls from the surface, while others reach depths that challenge experienced technical divers who swim through cargo holds and engine rooms. The calm, protected water and generally good visibility make Coron an excellent place to try wreck diving for the first time, and dive shops in Coron town run daily trips to sites such as the Irako, Okikawa Maru, and the shallow Lusong Gunboat. Combined with the lakes and lagoons above the surface, it makes Coron a rare two-world destination.
Good to know
Opening hours and entry fees vary by season — check before you visit.