Gato 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.
Gato is a fang of rock in the Visayan Sea, a marine sanctuary and sea-snake haven where banded sea kraits come ashore to rest and hunt through the shallows with unnerving nonchalance. The marquee moment is the tunnel, a roughly 30 m passage cutting beneath the island; at its exit, whitetip reef sharks habitually idle in the gloom, silhouetted for arriving divers. Around the flanks, overhangs shelter cuttlefish, frogfish, seahorses, and nudibranchs in numbers that justify the crossing alone. Torch required, humility recommended, and count on the snakes ignoring you completely.
The moment you come for: The under-island tunnel with waiting whitetips, resident sea kraits, dense macro under every ledge
Topography: Boulders, overhangs, and a swim-through tunnel beneath the islet
Current: Sheltered faces most days; some flow through the tunnel and around the points.
Entry: About 45 minutes by banca west of Malapascua; usually a two-dive trip with surface interval in the island's lee.
Know before you splash
Hazards: An overhead tunnel with surge on some tides; venomous (though placid) sea kraits deserve space.
Conservation: A protected sanctuary once used for turtle-egg and snake harvesting, now patrolled; fees fund the wardens.
Who you'll meet
Banded Sea Krait
Broadclub Cuttlefish
Frogfish
Nudibranchs
Seahorses
Whitetip Reef Shark
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★★☆ · Macro: ★★★★☆ — editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting