Apo Island · Philippines · Reef
Rock Point East
A reef finger on the island's southeast corner, fed by the prevailing current
Photo: Elias Levy · CC BY 2.0
Rock Point East is a finger-shaped reef on the southeast corner of Apo Island, sitting in the path of the prevailing current. Directory listings give it a 5 to 30 m depth range and a current that is usually mild but can pick up. The exposure is the point of the dive: it keeps reef fish stacked over the coral formations, with pelagic species passing through now and then.
Where it is and how deep
9.0708° N, 123.2691° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The published depth range runs from 5 m down to 30 m, so the site can be dived shallow along the top of the reef finger or taken down its flank, depending on gas and certification. The corner is exposed to the prevailing current, and that exposure is what the listings credit for the fish life: the flow holds reef fish over the coral formations rather than letting them scatter across the slope.
Current here is listed as usually mild and occasionally moderate, so it is not the hard drift that Apo's northern points can turn into, but it is worth planning the direction before you drop. Reef fish are the constant, in numbers the listings put down to the current, with pelagic species described as occasional visitors rather than a reason to book the dive. Little else is documented for Rock Point East specifically: no visibility figures and no detailed route have been published for it.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Apo Island: Dived year-round; April and May give the calmest crossings, and the December–February trade winds can chop up the open crossing and the exposed points.
Know before you go
- The corner sits in the prevailing current, and while it is usually mild it can turn moderate — agree the direction of travel with the boat before entry so you are picked up downstream.
Photos from Rock Point East
Clotho · CC BY-SA 4.0
Elias Levy · CC BY 2.0
Dive videos
🌊 Diving Rock Point East, Apo Island, Philippines 🇵🇭 · Irish Diver Down Under on YouTube
Turtle sightings at Rock Point East, Apo Island, Philippines · Atmosphere Resorts & Spa Philippines on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Rock Point East?+
Directory listings give a depth range of 5 to 30 m, so it can be dived shallow along the top of the reef finger or taken down its flank towards 30 m depending on your certification and gas.
Is there current at Rock Point East?+
Yes. The site is on the southeast corner of the island and is exposed to the prevailing current, listed as usually mild and occasionally moderate. That flow is what keeps reef fish concentrated over the coral.
Sources
- Rock Point East (258535) — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Rock Point East (541053) — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Rock Point West — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
- Apo Island — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- A coral grouper with red and white banding and blue spots hangs beside a reef wall at Apo Island. by Elias Levy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- A scuba diver in silhouette against sunlit blue water near Apo Island. by Clotho, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Large plate coral fronds stacked one above another on the Apo Island reef. by Elias Levy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Apo Island
A no-take reef since 1982, with turtles on nearly every dive
Coral gardens on a gentle slope, with the best of the reef above 18 m
Frogfish and cuttlefish in the island's densest hard coral
A wall of overhangs and caverns with its foot at about 30 m
Similar dives elsewhere
A jukung-only reef of bommies and soft coral away from the crowds
The protected shallows where Balicasag's turtles are thickest
Seagrass, dense reef and wall on one protected slope
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Banded sea kraits crawling openly over a sunken plateau