Cars
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.
Two gutted car bodies were sunk on Dauin's black sand years ago as fish-aggregating shelters, and the ocean has run with the idea. The shells at around 20-23 m function as critter condominiums: giant frogfish wedged where a dashboard used to be, sweepers pulsing inside the frames, snake eels and stargazers staking the surrounding sand, and nudibranchs commuting across the roofs. The swim between structures crosses classic muck terrain where guides conjure devilfish, dragonets, and shrimp gobies out of apparent nothing. Depth makes it a proper second-level muck dive; the payoff density makes it a Dauin signature.
The moment you come for: Frogfish-stuffed car shells, sand aprons full of ambush hunters, Dauin muck at its most reliable
Topography: Volcanic black sand with sunken car shells
Entry: A short banca ride off the Dauin coast; often paired with a shallower sanctuary dive.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Venomous sand dwellers and easy silt-outs; watch bottom time at 20-plus meters.
Conservation: Inside Dauin's managed sanctuary system; fees fund wardens, and structures must not be moved or leaned on.
Nitrox: Worth it here — profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).
Who you'll meet
Frogfish
Lionfish
Nudibranchs
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Peacock Mantis Shrimp
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★☆☆☆ · Macro: ★★★★★ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting