Diving Thalatta in Zamboanguita, Philippines

Divemaster Austin in a rash guard on the bow of the dive boat before diving Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A metal cage frame covered in growth on the sand at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
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Austin Tuwiner
October 10, 2026

I dove Thalatta in October 2026 with Critter Republic, by boat out of Dauin, Philippines.

I think people do shore dive the site, but we left from the Critter Republic resort, so it was around a 30-minute boat ride down.

It was my second dive of the day, after Malatapay.

Dive Log · Zamboanguita, Philippines

Thalatta

Dive Data from my Garmin Descent MK3i
Max Depth
67ft / 20.4m
Avg Depth
40ft / 12.2m
Dive Time
65min
Water Temp
84.2°F / 29°C
Visibility
60-70ft / 18-21m
Entry
Boat
Recommended Certification
Open Water
Artificial Reef Asia 9.124448, 123.217518

The Dive

I geared up on the boat in just a rash guard.

Divemaster Austin in a rash guard on the bow of the dive boat before diving Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Austin on the boat before the dive.

The bottom is sand with man-made structures spread across it.

On this dive, I got to work with some volunteers who help plant artificial coral on the site.

They also maintain it weekly with cleanings.

Some of the volunteers told me the artificial reefs have only been down there for about 2 years.

It's wild just how much life has already been attracted to the area.

A metal cage frame covered in growth on the sand at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A metal frame structure on the sand.
Stacked concrete blocks covered in growth with fish around them at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A stack of concrete blocks with fish around it.
Concrete blocks on the sand with a school of small fish at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Small fish over concrete blocks on the sand.
Rows of coral-covered bottles set in concrete at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Rows of coral-covered bottles set in concrete.
Schooling damselfish inside the bottles at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Schooling damselfish inside the bottles.
Coral growing over a structure with reef fish in the blue at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Coral and a crowd of reef fish over a structure at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Red and orange growth on a structure with reef fish overhead at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines

Schools of fish gathered around the structures.

A school of fish over a structure at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A school of red and brown fish beside a tire at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A dense school of small red fish inside a structure at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Razorfish hanging head-down beside a net-covered structure at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Razorfish hanging head-down beside a net-covered structure.

I logged 67 ft (20.4 m) at the deepest, with an average of 40 ft (12.2 m) across 65 minutes.

What Marine Life I Saw

These are some of the animals I filmed around the structures.

A moray eel among small fish at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A moray eel among the structures.
A big camouflaged frogfish resting against a structure at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A big frogfish camouflaged against a structure.
A frogfish clinging to a metal frame at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
Another frogfish clinging to a metal frame.
A juvenile sweetlips in the coral at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A juvenile sweetlips in the coral.
A baby sweetlips by a metal ring at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A baby sweetlips by a metal ring.
A big school of bannerfish in the blue at Thalatta, Zamboanguita, Philippines
A big school of bannerfish in the blue.

The Dive & Conditions

On the way back, it started pouring rain, but Critter Republic's boats have a roof and cover.

Visibility was around 60 to 70 ft (18 to 21 m), which wasn't amazing compared to other sites.

The water was 84.2°F (29°C).

I dove in just a rash guard because the water was warm, but many people on the boat wore wetsuits.

The dry season, roughly November to May, is generally the most popular time to dive Dauin.

June to October is the wet season, with rougher seas.

Let's Dive Together

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Austin Tuwiner

I'm a PADI Divemaster based in South Florida.

With over a decade of diving experience, I help readers become better divers, buy their next piece of gear, and plan their dream dive vacation!

Hear Austin's Story

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