Romblon

Romblon Island is a specialist macro destination in the Sibuyan Sea, with sand, rubble, seagrass and reef sites worked slowly by local critter spotters. Coleman's melibe has a valid scientific identity, Melibe colemani, and several Cyerce sea slugs are documented by name.

Best time
Feb–Apr
Certification
Open water
Budget
$–$$ · under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000
Trip length
59 days
Trip style
Land based, Day trip, Shore dive
Access
Moderate

The short version

Known forSpecialist searches for Melibe colemani and named Cyerce sea slugs on Romblon Island.

Main tradeoffRare macro animals are not reliable on demand.

Palm trees overlooking a blue coastal bay and green hills in Romblon

Photo: pixmike / Unsplash

Plan within this destination

What works for your trip?

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What do you want to see? (optional)

Your outlook

Explore 6 dive sites

Browse the map and wildlife below, or add an optional preference to narrow Romblon.

Most relevant wildlife

  • NudibranchJan–Dec
  • Hawksbill turtleJan–Dec
  • Pygmy seahorseJan–Dec
  • Green sea turtleJan–Dec

Plan the trip

Links coming soon

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6 sites shown.

Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Feb–Apr · Mild current · 26–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest May)
Best months Operating
Current
Mild
Water temperature
26–31°C (coldest Jan, warmest May)
Visibility
1030m: Operators report roughly 10–30m.
Experience
Many shallow macro and sanctuary sites suit Open Water divers with good buoyancy.

01 · Marine life

What you may see

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak seasondestination closed

Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.

NudibranchNudibranchia (order; multiple species)
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Nudibranchs and sacoglossan sea slugs are the core draw.

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricata
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Documented in conservation work in the passage and possible on reef dives.

Pygmy seahorseHippocampus bargibanti
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Several pygmy-seahorse species are reported on gorgonians and other host habitat.

Green sea turtleChelonia mydas
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Documented in Romblon Passage conservation work and reported at sanctuary reefs.

See all 10 species

02 · Dive sites

Dive sites worth knowing

A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.

See all 6 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to CRK. Typical trip $–$$.

Route overview

Moderate

Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight, a 3h overland transfer.

Airport options

CRK

Clark International Airport

Twice-weekly domestic flight to Tugdan Airport on Tablas, followed by road to San Agustin and a local ferry to Romblon Island

TBH

Tugdan Airport

Arrival airport on Tablas; road transfer serves Tablas operators, while Romblon Island requires onward travel to San Agustin and a ferry

Typical trip cost

$–$$

under $2,000 to $2,000–4,000

Per person, excluding international flights.

  • Published 2025/26 Romblon Island rates list rooms at PHP 2,890–4,490 per night, meals at PHP 1,950 per day, single dives at PHP 2,000 and a two-dive day at PHP 4,000.
  • A Blue Hole trip adds PHP 4,000 per boat plus a PHP 400 per-diver entrance fee.
  • A week with 10 dives normally stays below $2,000 before flights; private guides, single occupancy and extra transfers can move it into the $2,000–4,000 tier.

Sources & last checked

Checked September 2026

Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.

View 11 sources and checking notes

Note on the data: The January–May best window combines PAGASA's local dry-season description with operator main-season guidance; operators extend their main season through June and advertise year-round diving, but no independent dive-condition series supports precise monthly visibility. Rare macro species are coded occasional or rare with no peak months. Melibe colemani is a valid described species and is not endemic to Romblon. Cyerce nigra is named in specialist reports, but this brief keeps all Cyerce records within the existing generic nudibranch category rather than creating species records from operator identifications. Site coordinates are approximate locality-level positions. The published PHP 400 Blue Hole charge comes from an operator, not an authority. UNDP's reef-impact account is useful but describes assessments beginning in 2004 and should not be read as a current province-wide reef grade. Clark–Tablas service began in August 2026 and is only twice weekly, so schedules remain vulnerable to change. Water temperature: Rounded monthly ranges are based on modeled historical surface-water values for Romblon, not temperatures logged at depth on individual dives. Access: From international-capable Clark, Sunlight Air advertises a twice-weekly 75-minute flight to Tugdan on Tablas. Reaching a Romblon Island dive base then takes roughly one hour by road to San Agustin, about one hour by local ferry and a final road transfer; waits can make it much longer. The fallback is an eight-to-nine-hour ferry from Batangas to Romblon or Odiongan, with additional land and ferry legs if it lands on Tablas.