Apo Island is a small volcanic island, 7km off the southeastern tip of Negros Island in the Philippines. It is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental. The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve; protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (N.I.P.A.) and comes under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (P.A.M.B.).

The island is home to nearly 800 people, mainly fisher folks. Since 2002 Apo has become a popular dive site and snorkeling destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, both of which have their own dive centers. Apo Island Beach Resort is the smaller and more exclusive, Liberty's Lodge is larger.

Apo Island is one of the world's best known community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented, by the global science community. The project was started in 1982. It is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals.

Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there, these fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.

In 2003 Chicago's Shedd Aquarium opened a Wild Reef exhibit based on Apo Island's surrounding reef and marine sanctuary.

The island is 20 kilometres from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental and can be reached by a 30-minute boat ride from the fishing/market village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.Apo Island, a small and pristine island that offers fantastic snorkelling and some of the best diving in the Philippines. This Island has some lovely and scenic view with a magnificent and good assorment of dive sites.

Stunning and outstanding hard and soft corals are all around and enormous table corals, stag horns, brain corals and fire corals can be seen. You will also encounter lovely beaches and a tranquil, relaxing atmosphere, as no automobiles are allowed on the island.

The waters around Apo Island are calm due to the unique coral formations that also attract an array of marine life, making this an ideal diving location.
Big drop-offs and spectacular walls are in the southern, northern and eastern side of the island. Unique, exotic and enchanting marine life species can be experienced when the currents are strong because a variety of large pelagic species are attracted all around the island.

Stunning Marine life will be encountered such as large pelagics, including tuna, big-eyed jacks, humphead wrasses, hammerheads, and mantas.

This island is considered to be part of the jurisdiction of the town of Dauin, Negros Oriental. Its pride is its fantastic rock formations scattered over the terrain, a protected marine reserve, magnificent white sands and a relatively virgin endowment of natural marine resources.

It listed six-hundred-and-fifty documented fish species and four-hundred types of marine corals.

Apo Island is one of the top ten dive sites in the country and around the world. You can opt for a one-day adventure or stay nights at nearby hotels and beach resorts, some of which are the Liberty’s Lodge or Apo Island Beach Resort.

Life in this island is said to have its own pace. Perhaps this is where time has stood still -- in the primitive and wild beauty that it is most well-known for.

You can snorkel, scuba or deep sea dive in as much as 15 pre-identified points around the island. Other activities include island boat rides, treks and bike rides.

This island is sure to fascinate every diver’s and vacationists’ imagination – from the unique aquatic habitat and its dwellers, the rustic view of an old lighthouse, the image of a sunset tinting the sky with pink to the magical feel of white sand on your toes while having a cool drink on a night of the full moon.

Explore the Apo Island today and experienced its white sand beaches, clear aquamarine waters, its lush coral reefs and diverse marine life, and surely you will treasure this.