Chapel
Named after the chapel on the shore, this is one of Apo's most famous dives: a dramatic wall that drops more than 100 metres, a small overhang to swim into, an electric clam, and turtles on the reef on the way back.
Chapel takes its name from the chapel on Apo Island, which stands right in front of the dive site; you can see it from the boat. It is probably one of the most famous dive sites on Apo: a white sandy slope, one of the island’s most dramatic walls, and a small overhang to swim into.
The dive
This is a wall dive, not a drift. The dive starts on a white sandy slope with shallow corals and leads to one of the most dramatic walls on Apo Island, dropping more than 100 metres. The wall is best enjoyed between 18 and 24 metres, and the maximum depth we dive here is around 28 metres. Along the wall there is a small overhang, not quite a cave, just a tiny space you can swim into. Further along, the wall slopes down into the reefs of Katipanan, and we normally come back along the reef side, looking for turtles on the way.
What you might see
- A dramatic wall dropping more than 100 metres
- An electric clam, which lives in this area
- A small overhang to swim into
- Schools of reef fish along the wall
- Banded sea kraits, which hunt in the coral and surface to breathe
- Turtles on the reef on the way back
- Hard and soft corals on the slope and the wall
When to dive Chapel
We visit Apo Island all year, weather permitting, with water temperatures of about 25 to 29°C. See when to dive Dauin and Apo Island.
Who it suits
Most certified divers. Advanced Open Water certification lets you enjoy the best of the wall at 18 to 24 metres.
Our tip
Ask your guide to point out the electric clam. It is small and easy to miss if you don’t know where it lives.
Good to know
- Apo Island is a protected marine area. The sanctuary fee is included in our day-trip price.
- Sea kraits are venomous but not aggressive. Give them room and they will ignore you.
- For another Apo wall, try Kan-uran.
Dive Chapel with us
We visit Apo Island on full-day boat trips from Dauin, with three dives, lunch and sanctuary fees included. Which sites we dive depends on the day’s conditions. See our Apo Island day trips, or build your dive trip.