Bongo Bongo Divers

Bongo Bongo Divers has been operating in the Dumaguete and Dauin area since 2014. As a local, family-run centre, they have built a reputation for authentic Philippine hospitality and a calm, unhurried approach to diving. They are a member of the Green Fins initiative, reflecting a genuine commitment to protecting the local marine environment.

The centre is ideally positioned to access the diverse ecosystems of the region. You can explore the extensive reef systems of Dauin, which include protected marine areas, or take day trips to the famous reefs of Apo Island. The location provides a perfect base for both dedicated muck divers and those looking to explore healthy coral gardens.

The team is composed of experienced instructors and guides who prioritise patient, personalised instruction. Their philosophy is to take the time necessary to ensure every diver feels confident in their skills, whether you are completing your first Discover Scuba Diving session or working through a professional internship.

For those pursuing a career in diving, the centre offers structured pathways through the Divemaster Internship and the Instructor Development Course. They work in collaboration with Marine Conservation Philippines, integrating conservation awareness into their professional training programmes.

Bongo Bongo Divers offers a comprehensive range of PADI courses for every level of experience. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving and progress through to the Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver certifications.

For more experienced divers, the centre provides specialised training including the Enriched Air Diver (Nitrox) course, Deep Diver, and Sidemount Diving. They also offer Peak Performance Buoyancy, Drift Diving, and Diver Propulsion Vehicle courses to refine your technical skills. Professional training is a core part of their offering, covering the Divemaster Internship and the full Instructor Development Course.

The centre provides a full range of rental kit for divers who prefer not to travel with their own equipment. This includes regulators, wetsuits, fins, and masks. For night dives, torches are available for hire to help you navigate the darker corners of the muck sites.

Nitrox is available on-site, allowing you to extend your bottom time on deeper dives or multi-dive days. The centre also offers dive computer rentals for those who do not have their own. On-site accommodation is available in a home-stay style, featuring rooms ranging from simple dormitories to air-conditioned doubles with private bathrooms, and there is a swimming pool on the premises.

The marine life in this region is incredibly diverse, ranging from large pelagics to tiny, specialised creatures. On the reef slopes and walls, you will find healthy colonies of brain coral, mushroom coral, and staghorn coral, alongside sponges and anemones. Larger animals such as green sea turtles, eagle rays, and various groupers are common sights, as are schools of snapper, jacks, and barracuda.

For macro enthusiasts, the area is world-renowned. The sandy bottoms and muck sites are home to a vast array of nudibranchs, including the Halgerda batangas and many species of chromodoris. You can also find ghost pipefish, various species of seahorses, and flamboyant cuttlefish.

The octopus population is particularly noteworthy, with sightings of the wonderpus, mimic octopus, and blue-ringed octopus. Other fascinating small creatures include mantis shrimp, garden eels, and various species of shrimp and crabs.

Specific seasonal sightings include hairy frogfish and various species of hairy frogfish between October and February.

Diving conditions vary across the different sites. Some locations, such as Coconut Point and Mainit, are known for strong and sometimes unpredictable currents, which are best experienced by advanced divers or those completing a drift diving specialty. Other sites, like the Dauin North house reef, offer shallower, calmer waters suitable for those at the Open Water Diver level.

At sites like Unity Point, the bottom can be silty, so maintaining good buoyancy is essential to avoid disturbing the sediment and reducing visibility.