Cabilao · Philippines · Wall · Night
Polaris Housereef
Frogfish, ghost pipefish and turtles on a 5-30 m coral wall
Area photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 4.0
The house reef of Polaris Beach and Dive Resort, on Cabilao's west coast, which dives as a wall between 5 and 30 metres with coral cover and macro along the face. It is rated as a dive for any level, with currents that change with the time of day, and it is used for night dives as well as day dives.
Where it is and how deep
9.8849° N, 123.7599° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site dives as a wall between 5 and 30 metres, with coral cover along the face. Depth is your choice rather than the site's: the top of the reef sits shallow enough to spend a whole dive on it, and the same corals and macro carry on down the wall. Current is the variable to settle first, because it changes with the time of day rather than with the season, so which way you swim depends on when you get in.
The macro is the reason to dive it slowly. Frogfish, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs are what the reef is listed for, and the mix shifts through the season; turtles are common here too, alongside the reef fish on the coral. It is rated for night diving as well, and the macro that sits tight to the wall by day is the point of going back in after dark. The current still turns with the hour at night, so the check before you get in is the same one you make in daylight.
Marine life and season
- Macro critters
- Frogfish
- Nudibranchs
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Cabilao: Dived year-round; Nov–Jun is the main season and the low season runs roughly May–Oct, when the south-west monsoon works the exposed sides.
Know before you go
- The current changes with the time of day rather than staying constant, so check it at the surface and agree a direction before you drop.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Polaris Housereef?+
The dive runs between 5 and 30 metres. The coral starts shallow at about 5 m and the wall drops away from there, so you set your own maximum depth within that range.
Can you night dive Polaris Housereef?+
Yes. The site is rated for night dives as well as day dives, and the macro on the wall - frogfish, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs - is what divers go looking for after dark.
What can you see at Polaris Housereef?+
Coral cover along the wall plus macro life: frogfish, ghost pipefish and nudibranchs, with the mix changing through the year. Turtles are common and there are plenty of reef fish on the shallow coral.
Sources
- Polaris Housereef - Scubago — Scubago
- Polaris Beach and Dive Resort — Scubago
More dive sites in Cabilao
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A hundred metres of coral wall from 5 m to 60
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An east-coast wall with a cave, and Cabilao's best night dive
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Drift
A current-washed plateau at 25–30 m, pelagics one day, pygmies the next
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Giant gorgonian fans on a wall from 5 m to 60
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The corner where Cabilao's sharks are seen, wall to plateau to wall
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Shallow muck over a coral wall that falls to 60 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Reef top at 3-5 m over a wall that bottoms out at 20-25 m
Mandarinfish at sunset on a wall that starts at 3 m
A coral peninsula at 30 m with predators working the current line
A sloping wall from 5 m, entered on foot south of San Juan