Cave
11.1537°N 119.2792°E · cave
Cave is a cave dive site in Philippines Palawan, Asia.
Overview
This El Nido cave dive on Matinloc Island draws advanced divers into natural limestone passages and chambers carved into the karst cliffs that define the area’s dramatic above-water scenery. The dive descends to 30 meters through natural passages requiring proper cave or cavern certification, and the low-light interior shelters crustaceans and reef fish that have adapted to the reduced-light environment of the cavern walls.
Site Information
- Location: Philippines Palawan, Asia
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Cave/cavern
- Difficulty Level: Advanced
- Maximum Depth: 30 meters
Marine Life
The limestone passages of this El Nido cave shelter species adapted to low-light conditions: banded coral shrimp, spiny lobsters, and small grouper occupy the cavern walls and chambers. The outer reef adjacent to the cave entrance down to 30 meters carries typical Palawan reef fauna including reef sharks, hawksbill turtles, and schools of snappers and fusiliers. Crevices in the karst substrate are productive for nudibranchs and small macro subjects for divers exploring the transition zone between cave and open reef.
Sources: Diving Squad Palawan Guide, Scuba Tech Philippines - Coron Wrecks, Pirate Coron Dive Sites, DIVE Magazine - Wrecks of Coron Bay, ZuBlu - Scuba Diving Coron Palawan. Last updated 2026-04-04.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
172 verified species observations (133 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1948 and 2020, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Trimma
- Gymnothorax
- Eviota hoesei · Doug's Eviota
- Gobiidae · Gobies
- Opistognathus · Spotfin Jawfishes
- Kaupichthys brachychirus · Shortfin False Moray
- Gobiopsis arenaria · Patchwork Goby
- Pseudoplesiops annae
- Ostorhinchus
- Vanderhorstia
- Eviota · Greenies
- Trimma xanthum · Yellow-red Pygmygoby
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
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