Apo Reef · Philippines · Wall · Pelagic & blue water
Ego Wall
Sheer drop-off at the island's northern tip, 15 m to 40 m
Area photo: Wiki.mjmasangkay · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ego Wall is the sheer drop-off at the northern tip of Apo Island, dived between 15 and 40 metres down a face that runs close to vertical. With no water moving it is a straightforward wall dive; when the current runs it becomes an advanced one, and that is when the pelagics show up off the face. The coral plateau above the drop is where the dive ends.
Also known as Apo Island - North (Ego Wall).
Where it is and how deep
12.6666° N, 120.4101° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is the northern tip of Apo Island, a sheer drop-off dived between 15 and 40 metres. The dive starts with a descent down the face to whatever depth the plan allows, then runs along it, rock on one side and open water on the other. Without current it is an uncomplicated wall, flown slowly, with the drop itself doing the navigation for you.
It changes with the water. When there is current this is an advanced dive, and the pelagics come with it, holding out in the blue off the wall rather than in on the coral. In those conditions the useful thing to do is watch out into open water instead of into the reef, and stay in close to the face so it works as both shelter and reference while you cover ground.
Finish shallow. The corals on the plateau above the drop-off are a good place to run the last part of the dive and the safety stop, out of whatever is happening on the wall below, and they give a comfortable, unhurried ascent after a profile that has spent its early minutes deep.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime |
Season follows Apo Reef: Nov–Jun is the season with Mar–May best; the south-west monsoon and typhoons close the reef entirely from July to September.
Know before you go
- Currents here are unpredictable, and when one runs the drop-off turns into an advanced dive: check the lip before descending, and plan to drift off the wall rather than swim back into moving water.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Ego Wall?+
The published range is 15 to 40 metres, down a sheer drop-off at the island's northern tip. Dives are planned along the upper face and finished on the coral plateau above the drop.
Is Ego Wall suitable for new divers?+
Not when the current is running — the operator rates it an advanced site in those conditions, and dives here run to 40 metres. In slack water an experienced diver can keep the profile shallow along the face.
Sources
- Apo Reef dive sites — Pandan Island Dive Resort
- Apo Island - North (Ego Wall) — Scubago
More dive sites in Apo Reef
Wall
North-east wall dived from a 10 m coral plateau to 40 m
Coral garden
Coral gardens across the island's southern tip, 15 m to 40 m
Wall
The afternoon wall, and the island's bumphead parrotfish schools
The island's most reliable edge for grey reef and whitetip sharks
Similar dives elsewhere
The Togians' best odds on schooling scalloped hammerheads
A vertical face into 2,000 m, with pygmy seahorses in the fans
A northern wall from 15 to 40 m where current draws the big fish
Sharks at 35 m off Olango's northern tip, hammerheads among them