Donsol & Ticao Pass · Philippines · Reef · Wall
Lapus Lapus East
A steep face with frogfish on it and tuna off it
Area photo: AwOiSoAk KaOsIoWa · CC BY-SA 3.0
The steeper twin of the two Lapus Lapus sites on San Miguel Island, dropping down to an average depth of 20 metres. The dive splits its attention between the wall, where nudibranchs and frogfish sit camouflaged, and the open water off it, where tuna and mackerel pass.
Where it is and how deep
12.7143° N, 123.5941° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Compared with its western twin, Lapus Lapus East has a steep slope and goes down to an average depth of 20 metres. That changes how the dive runs: instead of quartering a gentle gradient you follow a face, keeping one shoulder to the rock and letting depth do the work of moving you along it rather than swimming a long circuit.
The wall itself is a critter dive. It has its share of nudibranchs and the more camouflaged animals — frogfish in particular, which reward a slow pass and a close look at anything that seems to be part of the sponge. Turn away from the wall now and then and watch the open water instead: pelagics like tuna and mackerel come past the drop-off.
Run the deeper part of the face first and step up as the dive goes on, finishing on the shallow reef. The site lies on San Miguel Island at the northern end of Ticao, about 45 minutes by boat from the Manta Bowl shoal, so it is usually paired with Lapus Lapus West on the same trip out rather than dived on its own.
Marine life and season
- Tuna
- Frogfish
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good |
Season follows Donsol & Ticao Pass: Whale sharks are in Donsol Nov–Jun, peaking Feb–May; manta activity at the Bowl follows a similar window before typhoon season.
Sources
- Diving in Donsol and Ticao — Thresher Shark Divers
More dive sites in Donsol & Ticao Pass
Wall
Overhangs and ledges worked at macro range
Reef
Squid and cuttlefish eggs wedged between the rocks
Reef
Four hectares of shallow cleaning station in the pass
Cave & cavern
A half-drowned cavern where two currents meet
Reef
Rock cover that puts you close to passing mantas
Reef
Whitetips lying up between boulders on white sand
Pinnacle
A mushroom rock you can circle in one dive
Reef
Limestone swim-throughs off a white sand beach
Similar dives elsewhere
A million-plus sardines holding a short swim off the dive shops
Reef, mini wall and coral garden from 12 m down to 30 m
Coral slope that steepens into a wall at about 20 m
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A wreck memorial at 12 m that works as a fish magnet