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Quiliano
Philippines · reef · intermediate
12–20 mintermediateOWboat entry
Quiliano
A small pinnacle off Malapascua's northern tip: flat top at 12 m, soft-coral walls, and mucky sand around the base full of critters.
Max depth12–20 m
Required levelintermediate
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Quiliano — also written Quillano, and pronounced roughly gi-li-a-no — is a small underwater pinnacle a short boat ride off the northern end of Malapascua. Malapascua Exotic describes a flat-topped plateau that begins at about 12 m and slopes gently to 13 m, with sheer sides dropping away as short walls; DIVEIN puts the base at 16 to 18 m and Exotic quotes 12 to 22 m for the whole profile, while Thresher Shark Divers publishes 20 m. The usual way to dive it is to drop to the bottom of the rock and spiral slowly back up to the plateau, which makes it a natural second or afternoon dive rather than a headline one.
The rock itself carries soft corals and sea fans, and it is those that hold the small things: pygmy seahorses on the fans, giant frogfish, banded boxer shrimp, juvenile boxfish and reef fish tucked into the coral. Fusiliers and anthias shelter on the lee side when the tide is running. Around the base the substrate turns to mucky sand, which is where DIVEIN reports seahorses, pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish and fire urchins carrying zebra crabs — the occurrence data around the northern end of the island does record Zebrida adamsii, the zebra urchin crab, alongside flower and hatpin urchins, banded pipefish, painted and giant frogfish, peacock mantis shrimp and a long nudibranch list of Chromodoris, Tambja and Nembrotha species.
One thing worth knowing before you read too much into any species list for this pin: Quiliano sits in a tight cluster of named dives at Malapascua's north end, with Galapagos, Secret Wall, Lapus Shallow, North Point, Deep Rock and Bugtong Bato all inside a kilometre. Bugtong Bato in particular is described as Quiliano's larger sibling — same kind of pinnacle, deeper base, and rated a level harder. Records gathered around this position describe the northern reefs collectively rather than this one rock.
- A flat-topped pinnacle starting at about 12 m, dived as a slow spiral from the base back to the top
- Pygmy seahorses and frogfish on the soft corals and sea fans of the walls
- Mucky sand around the base with pipefish, seahorses and fire urchins carrying zebra crabs
- A short hop from the Bounty Beach dive centres, which makes it a natural afternoon dive
Please note before you go
- Current builds on the turn of the tide; the standard response is to work the sheltered side of the pinnacle (DIVEIN)
- Fire and flower urchins are part of the attraction on the sand around the base and are not something to put a hand on
- Boat traffic: this is one of a tight cluster of named dives off Malapascua's north end, all worked by the same fleet
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
A short banca ride from the Bounty Beach dive centres on the south side of Malapascua, around the island to the northern tip. Thresher Shark Divers lists it among its local sites at 5 minutes; Malapascua Exotic quotes 15 minutes. The pin is roughly 3.4 km from the beach, so allow the longer figure. No shore entry exists; every centre on the island runs it as a guided boat dive, and Exotic sets an Open Water minimum.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Rules and permits
Malapascua dive centres collect a government fee for the use of local waters on top of the dive price. Thresher Shark Divers' price page, updated April 2026, describes 'P150-450 per person per day which goes to the government for the use of local waters'; Malapascua Exotic lists a government tax of P300 per day. Scuba Travel, which sells Exotic, notes the local park fee can only be paid in pesos. Amounts change often, so confirm the current figure with your centre and carry cash.
Season
Temperature is not the variable at Malapascua; the monsoons are. Thresher Shark Divers puts the calm window at March to June, with the best visibility and the lowest typhoon risk, and recommends March to May for a first visit. November to February is the amihan north-east monsoon, with choppier seas and visibility commonly 10 to 15 m; July to October is habagat and the wet season, with rougher water and occasional whole-day cancellations. Because this pinnacle sits off the island's northern end, the amihan north-easterly blows onto it rather than off it — no operator publishes a site-specific closure, so treat that as a reason to ask on the day rather than a rule.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentmoderate
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range12–20 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsnot sourced
Thresher Shark Divers describes Quiliano as having better than average visibility and fish life for the local sites, without giving a number; across Malapascua the year runs 20 to 30 m in the dry months and 10 to 15 m during the amihan. Water sits at roughly 26 to 29 °C for most of the year and 24 to 26 °C in January and February. A normal dive is a gentle drop to the base, a slow spiral up and a long shallow finish on the plateau, with the guides shifting sides if the tide starts to run.
On current: DIVEIN describes a mild current that picks up as the tide changes, and says that when it does the guides keep the group on one side of the rock. Malapascua Exotic mentions occasional strong currents and notes that fusiliers and anthias shelter along the walls from them. Depths disagree: the base is given as 16-18 m by DIVEIN and 22 m by Exotic, while Thresher Shark Divers publishes 20 m; we have used 20 m. Boat time also disagrees — Thresher Shark Divers says 5 minutes and Exotic 15 minutes, and the pin sits about 3.4 km from the Bounty Beach dive centres, which favours the longer figure.
Best months: Mar, Apr, May, Jun
Questions & answers
How deep is Quiliano?
The flat top of the pinnacle starts at about 12 m and slopes to roughly 13 m, and the base sits somewhere between 16 and 22 m depending on which operator you ask. DIVEIN gives 16 to 18 m, Malapascua Exotic quotes 12 to 22 m for the site and Thresher Shark Divers publishes 20 m. The standard profile is to drop to the sand, then spiral slowly back up to the plateau and spend the rest of the dive shallow.
Is Quiliano good for beginners?
Malapascua Exotic sets an Open Water minimum and calls it suitable for all skill levels, and DIVEIN says the shallow base makes it appropriate for divers of all levels. The caveat is the tide: DIVEIN describes a mild current that picks up as the tide changes, at which point the guides keep the group on the sheltered side of the rock, and Exotic mentions occasional strong currents. It is a fair second or third dive for a new diver with a guide, rather than a first one.
How do you get to Quiliano?
By banca from the dive centres on Bounty Beach, around to the northern tip of Malapascua. Thresher Shark Divers lists it among its local sites at 5 minutes and Malapascua Exotic quotes 15 minutes; the pin is about 3.4 km from the beach, so plan on the longer figure. There is no shore entry and every centre runs it as a guided boat dive.
Is there current at Quiliano?
Usually mild, but it builds around the turn of the tide. DIVEIN's description is the most practical: when the current runs, the guides simply keep the group on one side of the pinnacle and work the lee. Malapascua Exotic notes that fusiliers and anthias shelter along the walls from occasional strong currents, which is a good visual cue for which side to be on.
What will I see at Quiliano?
It is a macro dive. The soft corals and sea fans on the walls hold pygmy seahorses, giant frogfish and banded boxer shrimp according to Malapascua Exotic and DIVEIN, and the mucky sand around the base is where DIVEIN reports seahorses, pipefish, flamboyant cuttlefish and fire urchins carrying zebra crabs. Occurrence records from the northern end of the island back much of that up, including the zebra urchin crab Zebrida adamsii, banded pipefish, painted and giant frogfish, peacock mantis shrimp, anemonefish and a heavy load of Chromodoris, Tambja and Nembrotha nudibranchs.
When is the best time to dive Quiliano?
March to June is Malapascua's calm window, with the best visibility and the lowest typhoon risk; Thresher Shark Divers recommends March to May for a first visit. November to February is the amihan north-east monsoon, when visibility commonly drops to 10 to 15 m and seas are choppier, and July to October is the wet habagat season. Water temperature is not the deciding factor — it stays between about 24 and 29 °C all year.
Can you snorkel Quiliano?
No. The shallowest point of the pinnacle is roughly 12 m down, so there is nothing within a snorkeller's reach, and the site is a boat ride offshore from the island's northern tip. If you want shallow water on Malapascua, ask your centre about the reefs off Bounty Beach instead.
Life recorded at Quiliano
60 species within 1.5 km · OBISSynchiropus splendidusoccasional · 26 recordsSepioteuthis lessonianaoccasional · 5 recordsTriaenodon obesusrare · 4 records
Thuridilla lineolataoccasional · 15 records
Hypselodoris variobranchiaoccasional · 14 records
Plotosus lineatusoccasional · 13 records
All 60 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Synchiropus splendidus | occasional | 26 |
| Thuridilla lineolata | occasional | 15 |
| Hypselodoris variobranchia | occasional | 14 |
| Plotosus lineatus | occasional | 13 |
| Chromodoris magnifica | occasional | 11 |
| Tambja morosa | occasional | 11 |
| Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus | occasional | 11 |
| Lactoria fornasini | occasional | 11 |
| Halgerda batangas | occasional | 11 |
| Ancylomenes magnificus | occasional | 10 |
| Toxopneustes pileolus | occasional | 10 |
| Pseudoboletia maculata | occasional | 9 |
| Echidna nebulosa | occasional | 8 |
| Neopetrolisthes maculatus | occasional | 8 |
| Tambja olivaria | occasional | 8 |
| Chromodoris annae | occasional | 7 |
| Amphiprion clarkii | occasional | 7 |
| Protoreaster nodosus | occasional | 7 |
| Antennarius pictus | occasional | 7 |
| Odontodactylus scyllarus | occasional | 7 |
| Amblyeleotris rubrimarginata | occasional | 7 |
| Coriocella nigra | occasional | 7 |
| Nembrotha milleri | occasional | 6 |
| Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides | occasional | 6 |
| Arothron manilensis | occasional | 6 |
| Amphiprion frenatus | occasional | 6 |
| Cirrhilabrus ryukyuensis | occasional | 6 |
| Ascarosepion latimanus | occasional | 6 |
| Ancylomenes venustus | occasional | 5 |
| Dardanus pedunculatus | occasional | 5 |
| Synodus variegatus | occasional | 5 |
| Antennarius commerson | occasional | 5 |
| Chaetodon octofasciatus | occasional | 5 |
| Sepioteuthis lessoniana | occasional | 5 |
| Clavelina robusta | occasional | 5 |
| Gymnothorax thyrsoideus | occasional | 5 |
| Amphiprion perideraion | occasional | 5 |
| Zebrida adamsii | occasional | 5 |
| Nembrotha kubaryana | occasional | 5 |
| Pteraeolidia semperi | occasional | 5 |
| Elysia marginata | occasional | 5 |
| Coris schroederii | occasional | 5 |
| Diadema setosum | rare | 4 |
| Echinothrix calamaris | rare | 4 |
| Triaenodon obesus | rare | 4 |
| Solenostomus paradoxus | rare | 4 |
| Cephalopholis boenak | rare | 4 |
| Oxycheilinus bimaculatus | rare | 4 |
| Parapercis cylindrica | rare | 4 |
| Diademichthys lineatus | rare | 4 |
| Arothron mappa | rare | 4 |
| Canthigaster valentini | rare | 4 |
| Halichoeres hartzfeldii | rare | 4 |
| Parapercis snyderi | rare | 4 |
| Asterropteryx striata | rare | 4 |
| Ostracion solorense | rare | 4 |
| Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus | rare | 4 |
| Hapalochlaena lunulata | rare | 4 |
| Echinaster luzonicus | rare | 4 |
| Ancylomenes holthuisi | rare | 4 |
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