Doña Marilyn
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.
The Doña Marilyn was an inter-island passenger ferry lost in Typhoon Unsang in October 1988, a disaster that killed a large number of the people aboard; accounts of the toll vary into the hundreds. The roughly 90 m hull now lies on its starboard side on sand at about 33 m, thickly furred in black coral and soft growth, sheltering scorpionfish, sweetlips, and clouds of baitfish, with rays sometimes resting in its lee. Dive it as what it is, a grave as well as a reef: no souvenirs, restrained penetration for the trained only, and quiet respect for the door frames people once walked through.
The moment you come for: A large, coral-carpeted ferry hull, rich fish life, sobering history handled respectfully
Topography: Hull lying on its starboard side on sand at about 33 m
Current: Exposed position; current across the hull is common and dives are planned around it.
Entry: Roughly an hour's boat ride from Malapascua in open water; dived when seas allow.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Depth, nets and snagged lines in places, silt inside, and open-sea current; penetration only with wreck training.
Conservation: Treat as a maritime grave: take nothing, disturb nothing, and keep contact off the hull's growth.
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
Blue-Spotted Ribbontail Ray
Frogfish
Lionfish
Nudibranchs
Oriental Sweetlips
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★☆☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting