A local guide by Sunset Divers
Stay a little longer.
Look a little closer.
An island on the horizon. A mask in your hand. A whole morning ahead of you. There is more to this bay than the view from the beach.
Take a look beneath the surface
01 / The bay
Find Palawan on a map and follow its long western coastline. Port Barton sits beside a bay dotted with islands, away from the busiest stops in El Nido and Coron. It is a place to put your bag down for a few nights, get to know the waterfront and leave room for a day at sea.
An island-hopping trip gives you a taste: turquoise water, a swim off the boat, a snorkeling stop and lunch on an island beach. If you find yourself wishing you could stay with the fish a little longer, a first scuba dive may be the next thing to try. These are separate outings; choose what suits your stay.
02 / Underwater
From the surface, you see the shape of a reef. Underwater, you begin to notice its residents: a clownfish turning back into its anemone, a small fish peering out of a shelter, the bright markings of a nudibranch.
Scuba lets you watch at their level, without coming up for every breath. Move slowly, leave the animals space and keep your fins clear of the coral. Your guide can help you spot details you might otherwise swim straight past.
For the local guides, captains and crew at Sunset Divers, these waters are part of everyday life. They grew up around the bay, swimming and fishing. Our local dive guides were born in Port Barton and have made thousands of dives here.
Children from nearby islands still come to school by fishing boat. When strong wind and waves make the crossing unsafe, the journey has to wait. That is a small reminder that the sea sets the pace here.
On a dive, local knowledge and technical training work together. The crew knows the passages and changing conditions; your instructor explains the equipment and skills, and follows the diving programme’s procedures. There is time to ask questions.
PALAWAN
Palawan’s reputation reaches far beyond this bay. Tubbataha, in the Sulu Sea, is a UNESCO World Heritage reef park. Port Barton offers a different kind of visit: coastal diving that can fit into a stay in the village. A dive here is not a trip to Tubbataha.
A reef can look colourful and still be vulnerable. Keep your distance from wildlife, do not collect shells or coral, and take your rubbish back with you. Staying comfortably above the bottom is kinder to the reef and makes the dive more enjoyable.
Read about Tubbataha at UNESCO ↗03 / Plan your dive
You do not need to have your whole holiday worked out. Start with the experience that sounds like you.
Discover Scuba Diving is an introduction with an instructor, preparation and shallow-water practice. It is not a diving certification. Check the participation and medical requirements before booking.
See how a first dive worksTell the dive centre your qualification, recent experience and what you enjoy. Conditions and your experience help determine the day’s plan. Been a while? Ask about a refresher.
Explore diving in Port BartonAn Open Water course gives you time to build skills and work towards certification. Plan enough days for learning, and discuss your travel schedule with the centre.
Read about the Open Water course
If you enjoy a slower stay by the sea, allow two or three nights rather than rushing through. You can spend a day on the water and still leave room for the village, a waterfall outing or an unplanned afternoon.
These photographs show local marine life, but sightings are never guaranteed. Visibility, weather and the animals themselves vary. Enjoy what turns up on your own dive.
The detailed dive-site guide and current activity information are on Sunset Divers’ official website. Check the booking details or contact the centre before organising your transfers.