South Corner

South Corner is a diverse dive site within Apo Reef Natural Park, offering a mix of wall diving and sandy slopes. The site is known for its healthy coral formations, including hard corals, brain corals, star corals, and soft corals, along with barrel sponges and anemones. Descending to depths of 30 meters, divers can observe clouds of anthias, damselfish, and other reef fish sheltering within the reef. Schools of triggerfish and jacks can be seen drifting in the currents, and barracuda are also frequently encountered. The wall itself slopes down to over 45 meters (150+ feet), with ledges providing resting spots for whitetip reef sharks. Deeper areas host square spot anthias and regal angelfish, while hawksbill turtles feed on sponges and lobsters can be found in shallow crevices. A large resident Napoleon wrasse is often seen near the mooring line. South Corner benefits from strict protection as a marine park, which contributes to its strong reef condition and diverse marine life. The site is located on the outer reef, with shallows starting at 3 meters (10 feet) before the wall drops off. Sand channels run along the wall, interspersed with coral outcroppings adorned with gorgonian fans, where divers can spot bridled angelfish and longnose hawkfish. Healthy staghorn coral gardens provide a home for schools of damselfish. This site is also a known passageway for larger pelagic species like manta rays and hammerheads, which divers should look out for in the blue. Currents at South Corner can be strong and typically flow westward, making it suitable for drift diving. The dive usually begins with a boat entry, often utilizing a mooring line in 8 meters of water. As with many sites in Apo Reef, the clear waters and abundant marine life make it an excellent spot for underwater photography. Divers are advised to plan conservatively around the reported depths and to be aware of current conditions, especially since currents can change direction during a dive. The presence of the Apo Reef Lighthouse nearby serves as a navigational aid and landmark. South Corner offers a comprehensive diving experience, combining vibrant reef ecosystems with opportunities for encountering both macro life and larger pelagics.

Who reported what at South Corner

Several details above trace to dated accounts rather than one survey. A California Diver Magazine article of 23 July 2015 by Michael Salvarezza and Christopher Weaver describes their first dive at South Corner from a Puerto Galera liveaboard: a school of barracuda cruising slowly along the reef wall, and branching, brain and star corals mixed with soft corals while descending to 30 metres.

The mooring description comes from a cruising marker shared on VentureFarther in August 2017: a day or calm-weather mooring in 8 metres on one concrete block between coral boulders, with drift diving along the wall and the current going west. Diver Bliss, in a guide first published in May 2019 and updated in July 2026, repeats an operator description of a hard-coral top reef with sand patches and a wall sloping past 150 feet with ledges where whitetip sharks rest. Its author writes that most of their Apo Reef dives, including South Corner, went beyond 30 metres searching for mantas, rays and sharks; that is one visitor's profile, and the same guide calls currents unpredictable and recommends experienced divers.