Donsol Whale Shark Area
Dive site · Philippines
Is it worth the trip?
73Good out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 74 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 11kn
- Air
- 31°C
Wed 4 · 74 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.0 mflat
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 29°C
Thu 5 · 73 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 29°C
Fri 6 · 73 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 29°C
Sat 7 · 73 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.1 mflat
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 30°C
Sun 8 · 72 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 20kn
- Air
- 29°C
Mon 9 · 73 out of 100
- Sea
- 0.2 mflat
- Wind
- 10 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 29°C
Tap a day for sea, wind and water. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 275, good
- Tue 374, good
- Wed 474, good
- Thu 573, good
- Fri 673, good
- Sat 773, good
- Sun 872, good
- Mon 973, good
- Tue 1073, good
- Wed 1174, good
The site in five facts
- Down to 10 mits deepest
- From a boathow you get in
- Open Waterand up
- Water 29 °Crash vest or 1 to 2 mm
- Faces SWswell from there reaches it
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know currents, the visibility on the day or your certification.
Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. Scored for Advanced divers.
| Day | Score | Sea | Wind | Gusts | Air |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 75, good | 0.0 mflat | 5 kn | 8kn | 31°C |
| Tue 3Nov | 74, good | 0.1 mflat | 7 kn | 11kn | 31°C |
| Wed 4Nov | 74, good | 0.0 mflat | 8 kn | 10kn | 29°C |
| Thu 5Nov | 73, good | 0.1 mflat | 9 kn | 13kn | 29°C |
| Fri 6Nov | 73, good | 0.2 mflat | 10 kn | 13kn | 29°C |
| Sat 7Nov | 73, good | 0.1 mflat | 11 kn | 17kn | 30°C |
| Sun 8Nov | 72, good | 0.2 mflat | 12 kn | 20kn | 29°C |
| Mon 9Nov | 73, good | 0.2 mflat | 10 kn | 18kn | 29°C |
| Tue 10Nov | 73, good | 0.2 mflat | 11 kn | 19kn | 28°C |
| Wed 11Nov | 74, good | – | 9 kn | 17kn | 28°C |
Sea is the waves near the site, in metres; wind and gusts in knots. "Boats in": gusts that keep dive boats in. More
Tide
- Mon 2 NovHigh 02:42 +1.0 mLow 11:15 −0.7 m
- Tue 3 NovHigh 03:57 +0.7 mLow 12:39 −0.6 mHigh 20:40 +0.1 mLow 22:42 +0.1 m
- Wed 4 NovHigh 05:52 +0.6 mLow 13:45 −0.5 mHigh 20:41 +0.2 m
Local clock times; heights about mean sea level. On open coasts the times are usually within a quarter of an hour; in bays, estuaries and on the Gulf of Mexico they can be an hour or more out. Slack water, the safest time to dive where there is current, is about half an hour either side of each high and low. Tide: EOT20 global ocean tide model, Hart-Davis et al. 2021, DGFI-TUM (doi:10.17882/79489), CC BY 4.0. Times and heights computed by us. A model, not a tide table: check a local table before you go.
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
the site and its town
Donsol Whale Shark Area on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More diving near here
1 place
- Burias Pass 11.8 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Donsol Whale Shark Area
It goes down to 10 m. You get in from a boat. It suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it. The coast faces SW: swell from the SW reaches it, and wind from the NE blows out to sea. 2 dive centres or shops within 10 km, the nearest 0.8 km away. The sea is about 26°C in February, its coldest month (3 mm wetsuit), and 30°C in June, its warmest (rash vest or 1 to 2 mm). The town to stay in is Donsol.
- What it is No source states what kind of site it is.
- How deep Down to 10 m.
- Getting in From a boat.
- Who it suits Suits Open Water divers and up, as a dive guide states it.
- Dive centres 2 dive centres or shops within 10 km, the nearest 0.8 km away.
Water about 29°C: rash vest or 1 to 2 mm. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Visibility about 7 m. Typical for the time of year, estimated from ten years of NASA satellite water clarity, not a forecast. Clearest in Jul, Aug and Sep (about 15 m).
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,110–US$2,220 each
about US$1,110–US$2,220 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, stay, food.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DRP, estimated from distance and season, changing at HKG and MNL, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$824–US$1,710 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$54–US$94 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$107–US$181 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$127–US$234 |
| Total | about US$1,110–US$2,220 |
Guided dives are not priced yet: we have no sourced price, so it is not in it. Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Donsol
3 min by car · 11 places to stay
about US$40/nightcountry average
About Donsol its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$40 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 30h 15m
About 30h 15m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DRP, changing at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL), then 1h 05m by road
Flights ORD → DRP on your dates · Skyscanner
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
In the water
Dives and courses in Donsol · GetYourGuideDive gear hire in Donsol · GetYourGuide
Dive centres nearby
Dive Center 0.8 km
Donsol Dive Center 1.2 km
The nearest named dive centres and shops within 25 km, in a straight line; training agencies where the map states them. Listings, not a recommendation. Dive centres: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits
What you might see
Too few open records near this site to list its animals. Ask a dive centre what you are likely to see.
This week's visibility, the current and the life no free forecast gives. Ask a dive centre before you book.