Middle Rocks (Cagnipa Island)

About this dive site

This dive site, known as Large Reef, is located behind the Middle Rocks, situated between Palawan’s mainland and Cagnipa Island. It offers a captivating underwater experience with dynamic topography featuring walls interspersed with sandy patches. These walls create vibrant gardens brimming with both hard and soft corals. There can be some confusion regarding this reef, as it's sometimes conflated with Middle Reef located within Port Barton Bay, which tends to have reduced visibility and presents an average diving experience.

The area is renowned for its frequent marine life sightings. Divers often encounter graceful sea turtles, blue-spotted stingrays resting on the sandy bottoms, small barracudas, mackerels, and groupers patrolling the reefs. Macro photographers will delight in spotting nudibranchs. The site caters to divers of all skill levels, offering sections suitable for shallow exploration as well as deeper dives with thrilling drop-offs and serene sandy areas – perfect for discovering hidden marine treasures.

Visibility varies seasonally. During the best season, from March through July, visibility can reach up to 40 meters. Conversely, during the off-peak period of December through February, visibility is generally between 15 and 20 meters in shallower waters, decreasing to 6–10 meters below 20 meters.