Chapel Point (Apo Island)
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily — treat everything here as planning ranges.
Below the village chapel, Apo's western shore slopes away under one of the healthiest hard-coral canopies in the Visayas, acres of staghorn, table, and foliose growth so continuous that sand barely shows. This is the island at its most benign: green turtles surface and settle on their own circuit, anthias haze the coral tops, moorish idols and butterflyfish work the seams, and the odd hawksbill rasps at sponges on the short walls. Depth and current stay polite, making it the standard counterweight to Coconut Point's adrenaline on a two-dive Apo day. Snorkelers over the shallows do nearly as well as the divers.
The moment you come for: Unbroken hard-coral fields, point-blank turtles, the gentle half of an Apo day
Topography: Dense hard-coral slope with short wall sections
Current: Mostly relaxed; occasional flow toward the adjacent points.
Entry: Named for the small chapel ashore; usually a gentle mooring dive on the island's western side.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Minimal; shallow coral demands careful buoyancy.
Permits & rules: Island visitor and dive fees apply.
Conservation: Decades of village stewardship built this coral cover; a single fin strike undoes years, and wardens watch for exactly that.
Who you'll meet
Christmas Tree Worm
Clownfish & Anemonefish
Green Sea Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle
Oriental Sweetlips
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting