Brown Rocks(Butulan Rocks) in Palawan - Philippines

Among the numerous dive sites in Palawan, some of the best ones to go to are those that will take you to the smaller islands where you can enjoy your dives with far lesser crowds than other more famous dive sites in the province.

Traveling farther off the shores to reach the dive sites adds to the excitement and the mounting anticipation of finally reaching the site and discovering its beauty. One such dive site is Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) located at the northern tip of Busuanga Island.

Location

Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) is situated about 23 miles off the southeastern parts of Cocongon Point, within the Busuanga Islands. It is approximately 2 kilometers or 1.2 miles off the southern sections of Bantac, Calanhayaun and Lubutglubut islands, with coordinates of latitude, 12.1622222º and longitude, 120.3933333º.

To reach the Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site, you will need to take a ferry ride and it will take about three hours to reach the site, from the coasts of Busuanga Island.

What to See

The Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site is hard to miss because once you are close to the site, you will readily see two distinguishing brown rocks, hence the name, standing by.

Divers can see an array of corals as they go down the slopes, with a variety of small and colorful reef fishes; plus the dive site is actually home to cuttlefishes where they also breed.

There have also been occasions where divers going down the Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site have seen a hammerhead shark that roughly measures about 2.5 meters.

The best parts to snorkel around the area are the east and west sides of the rocks.

Depth and Experience Level Required

Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site has an average depth of about 18 meters and maximum depth is measured at 24 meters. Snorkeler, Discover Scuba Diving and Open Water Diving are the recommended levels of experience to dive down this site.

But as with any of the dive sites in Palawan, going down the Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site is advisable only with a professional guide to take you down one who has good knowledge about the dive site and the waters surrounding Busuanga Island.

Cost

The cost to dive down the Brown Rocks (Butulan Rocks) dive site may range from Php 1,700 for one dive; Php 2,200 up to Php 2,800 for two dives and from Php 3,000 to Php 3,950 for three dives.

Prices depend on the dive center of your choice; but the cost usually already includes rental cost for equipment, transportation to the dive site and entry fee; plus the services of a PADI-certified divemaster.