If you are a scuba diver interested in history, you can actually go scuba diving Philippine history since the history of this island nation is closely linked to the ocean and seafaring. A Philippine scuba diving history excursion can for example go to one of the many fascinating shipwrecks that can be found around the Philippine islands and islets. The Philippines is a nation located in South East Asia, consisting of over 7000 smaller and larger islands scattered in the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, the Celebes Sea and the South China Sea – all parts of the Pacific Ocean. The Philippines are located 750 miles (1,210 kilometres) from the Asian mainland and until aircrafts was invented the region could only be accessed by boat.
Philippine history scuba diving tip # 1 -The wrecks of Coron Bay
A Philippine history scuba diving excursion to Coron Bay will focus on 20th century Philippine history since these ships were sunk during World War II. Coron Bay is located roughly 170 nautical miles from Manila and was considered a comparatively safe assembly area during the war. In September 24, 1944, 80 Grumman H6F Hellcat and Curtis SB2C Helldiver planes left from carriers and headed for Coron Bay. They were commanded by vice admiral William F. Halsey's 38th Task Force. The carriers were located more than 340 miles (over 550 kilometers) from Coron Bay, and some planes were actually airborne for more than 6 hours. (During the return trip, many planes ran out of fuel and were lost.) The planes reached Coron Bay at 9:00 in the morning and after a 40 minute long attack the Japanese ships had been sunk. A majority of the wrecks are found between Sangat Island and Lusong, but you can also find several wrecks close to Manglet Island where they were sunk as they tried to leave Coron Bay. Some of the wrecks have been sunk by direct hits, while others have been sunk by bombs that destroyed their hulls under the water line. Only one Japanese ship escaped the attack and reached Hong Kong.
Philippine history scuba diving tip # 2 – The wrecks of Subic Bay
A Philippine history scuba diving excursion to Subic Bay will allow you to explore an older part of Philippine history. Subic Bay is a natural harbour, and has therefore been used by virtually every nation or group of people that has ever had an interest in these islands. It has been utilized as a port as well as a naval base and the sea bed is today decorated with a large amount of wrecks from various epochs. One of the wrecks are San Quentin, an 19th century Spanish steam gunboat. During the Spanish-American war, the supremacy over Cuba and the Philippines was at stake and Spain sent San Quentin to protect a shallow channel located south-east of Grande Island. San Quentin is not resting in 12 meters (40 feet) of water in Subic Bay. The best months to go on a Philippine history scuba diving excursion in Subic Bay is November – May. You can expect a good visibility, and quite a lot of sunlight manages to reach down to the wreck since it is located in comparatively shallow water. The currents are weak around the wreck. Other examples of interesting wrecks in Subic Bay are an armoured cruiser named New York that was launched in 1891 (also known as Saratoga/ Rochester), a 3712 ton freighter named Seian Maru, and a steam-powered freighter named El Captian. The starboard side of El Captain is no more than 6 meters (20 feet) below the surface, so this is a great dive spot if you want to perform a shallow dive.
