Deep Rock
A small pinnacle off Malapascua's northern tip, flat-topped at 14 metres, with soft coral and sponge walls dropping to 30.
Last updated October 2026
The dive
A flat-topped rock stands alone in open water off the northern tip of the island, small enough to circle in one dive.
The top is a plateau at 14 to 16 metres, and nothing on the site is shallower. Sheer wall runs down most sides to 30 metres, and a slope leaves the south face towards the east. Soft coral, sea fans and sponges cover all of it.
The rock is small, so a dive here goes round it: the wall for the coral cover, the south slope for the small animals. Frogfish, nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs are the animals shops name for it, and finding them is slow work in the folds of the coral.
What makes it special
Small animals live in the soft coral that covers the walls of this rock, which makes it a macro dive worked on a vertical face.
That wall sits below a plateau that is itself at 14 metres or more, so time spent over small animals draws on the no-stop clock quickly, and one operator recommends nitrox for qualified divers.
Pygmy seahorses and harlequin shrimp are named for certain seasons only, with no promise attached.
Know before you go
Shops sell two different dives as Deep Rock: a pinnacle a quarter of an hour out, and a sloping site five minutes from the beach. A day plan will not tell them apart.
Current here is variable, so ask about it on the day.
The rock has open water on every side. Keep it in sight, turn the dive on it, and carry a surface marker for an ascent that starts away from any reference.
Why Dive Deep Rock
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Flat top at 14 metres
A plateau at 14 to 16 m crowns the rock, with sheer walls on most sides
- Soft coral on sheer walls
Coral, sea fans and sponges cover walls that fall to 30 m
- Frogfish and small macro
Frogfish, nudibranchs, shrimps and crabs live in the folds of the coral
- A slope on the south face
A slope runs off the south side towards the east, a change from the wall
Depth & Profile
Location
11.3501°N, 124.1177°E
Conditions & difficulty
The top of the rock is at 14 to 16 metres, inside Open Water limits, and Open Water students have been taken here. The walls below it fall to 30 metres, past those limits, so stay at the depth your certification allows.
Summary
Nothing on the rock is technical. The grade comes from the setting: the plateau is already at 14 to 16 metres, the walls go on to 30, the rock stands alone in open water and the current varies.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
- Depth: The top of the rock is at 14 to 16 metres and the animals people come for sit on the walls below it, so the ascent starts in open water.Plan gas and no-stop time from the depth of the plateau and read the computer between subjects.
- Current: Current here is variable, and one booked dive was swapped for another site on grounds of strong current.Ask about conditions on the day, stay with the guide, and carry an SMB for an ascent in open water.
- Orientation: An isolated pinnacle with open water on every side. A diver who comes off the structure has nothing to reference.Keep the rock in sight and turn the dive on it. Do not swim off it to look for anything.
Marine Life
Regulations
Not among the eleven protected areas designated by municipal ordinance in Daanbantayan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Two shops describe Deep Rock differently. Which dive are you getting?▾
Two different dives are sold under the name. Two shops describe a pinnacle 15 to 20 minutes out with its top at 14 to 16 metres and sheer walls to 30. A third sells a Deep Rock five minutes from the beach that starts at 5 metres and slopes to 22 and does not mention a flat top. Ask which site and which depth profile are on your plan.
What happened when a Deep Rock dive was called off for strong current?▾
One diver's booked first dive of a trip in March and April 2024 was Deep Rock, and the operator swapped it for Lapus Lapus, giving strong current as the reason. When the diver said they would sit the dive out, the group went to Deep Rock after all and found the current mild and the dive easy. That is a single account. What it supports is that current here varies and that a cancellation is worth a question on the day, along with a clear statement that this is the site you want.
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