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Oryoko Maru
Oryoku Maru is located 400m off Alava pier. The Oryoku Maru was an outboard passenger ship carrying families and 1,600 American prisoners of war when the ship was attacked by an American aircraft. The site has varied tropical marine life due to the shallow depth. It was flattened by explosives for navigational reasons. This tangled artificial reef is home to all species of shallow water marine life, clown fish, angelfish, spotted sweet lips, lobsters and regular schools of barracuda and jack swimming overhead. For more detailed historical information about this wreck, see
Oryoku Maru.
Ranking: 3_Stars
Visibility: 15-45ftAverage Depth: 15mMaximum Depth: 20mDifficulty: Advanced
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Seian Maru
Seian Maru can be found between the Alava pier and the northern end of the airport runway. It is a Japanese cargo vessel approx 30,000 tons sunk by the American Navy in 1945. The Seian Maru lies on its portside and as you swim through its cavernous holds, you will encounter species like jack, spotted sweet lip and coral trout and other species of marine life found in this area.
Ranking: 3_StarsVisibility: 5-15mAverage Depth: 18m-24mMaximum Depth: 27mDifficulty: Easy Dive
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USS New York
USS New York is the star attraction in Subic's underwater world. The USS New York was a battle cruiser launched in the USA in 1891. She had a long and illustrious career - including time as a fleet flagship in the North Atlantic - and was once the pride of the US fleet in Asia. When World War II broke out, she was virtually retired. When the Japanese swept the US Marines out of the Philippine territory, the Americans had no choice but to scuttle her as they departed Subic in early 1942. The USS New York is situated between Alava Pier and the northern end of the airport runway and now lies on her port side in 27m of water between Alava Pier and the northern end of Cubi Point runway. A green buoy marks the spot. The 120m-long hull presents excellent opportunities for swim-through. A standard dive starts at the stern with a slow swim around the propellers and up to the aft gun emplacements then to the vast mess room, down to the bow section for another brief spell inside. Its abundant marine life in and around the wreck, combined with the clearly defined structure of the vessel, makes it an unforgettable dive.
Ranking: 5_StarsVisibility: ?Average Depth: 15mMaximum Depth: 27mDifficulty: Advanced.
Interesting links: Naval Military
History and
Photos, a
Technical Dive Report, and other history about
USS New York.
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An LST
An LST is situated between Grande Island and the southern tip of the airport runway. This landing craft is sitting upright with its doors open and lies slightly deeper than the other wrecks. There is a slight current, but it is still a safe dive with plenty to see.
Ranking: 3_StarsVisibility: 15-30mAverage Depth: 28-32mMaximum Depth: 35mDifficulty: Advanced
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El Capitan
El Capitan is another excellent wreck dive. It is a small 3,000-ton freighter, about 130m long, lying on its port side with its stern in 5 meters and its bow rests in 20 meters. It crashed down the mouth of Ilanin Bay, a small and pretty inlet on the east coast of Subic Bay. Visibility is excellent during dry season. The wreck is not in great shape though. The superstructure has disappeared and some 2-cm of ash and sand from the Mt. Pinatubo eruption covered the hull. But this is more than compensated for by the incredible abundance of marine life and an easy swim-through the accomodation area at 18m amid shafts of light that beam down through the holes on the sides. Snorkeling is also enjoyed in this site.
Ranking: 3_StarsVisibility: ?Average Depth: 5-20mMaximum Depth: 20mDifficulty: Easy Dive
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San Quentin
San Quentin is the oldest known wreck in Subic, a wooden gunboat scuttled by the Spanish in 1898 in a futile attempt to block the channel between Grande and Chiquita islands against the invading Americans. It is a popular dive spot not because of its visual impact since there is little left of the hull but because of its historical interest. It is the closest wreck to the open sea, making it more visible than the wrecks in the inner harbor. Schools of fish near the open sea are also bigger.
Ranking: 4_StarsVisibility: ?Average Depth: 12mMaximum Depth: 16mDifficulty: Advanced
Patrol Boat
A Patrol Boat can be discovered sitting upright in Triboa Bay. There is a cable from the bow of the ship across the coral reef that allows a diver to finish the dive in 3m (10ft), enjoying a vast array of coral and tropical fish, rendering it a great dive.
Ranking: ?Visibility: 7-13mAverage Depth: 20-25mMaximum Depth: 27mDifficulty: ?
Landing Vessel
This Landing Vessel is situated in Triboa Bay close to the end of the airport runway and lies on the edge of a reef with its starboard side lower. This is a great dive for an underwater photographer.
Visibility: 10-16mMaximum Depth: 27m
