Sand Island Cat Liveaboard, Philippines

Sand Island Catamaran is a 41.1 m (135 ft) fibreglass dive boat designed for extended diving expeditions across the Philippines. With a slender catamaran profile, 6.9 m beam and twin Yamaha F115 outboards, the vessel cruises at around 10 knots, combining stability with fuel-efficient overnight crossings. On the Tubbataha itinerary, the journey covers 93 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa in approximately nine hours and 20 minutes, allowing guests to sleep during the crossing and arrive at the reef around dawn.

The Sand Island Catamaran liveaboard accommodates up to 32 guests in 16 en-suite cabins and operates seasonal itineraries to Tubbataha, Malapascua, Moalboal, Dauin, El Nido, Coron and Apo Reef. Depending on the schedule, divers can encounter everything from whale sharks, manta rays and thresher sharks to historic wrecks, coral walls and captivating macro critters.

Boat Interior

Accommodation aboard Sand Island Catamaran Philippines is arranged across the bridgedeck and twin hulls. Every guest cabin sleeps two and includes Carrier Aura inverter air conditioning, storage, a private en-suite bathroom, a fresh water shower with timed valve, saltwater-flush toilet and 220V charging outlets.

Meals are served buffet style in the open living and dining area, with the full-service galley preparing three meals a day for up to 32 guests. The menu combines Western and Filipino dishes, including fresh fish such as tuna, grouper and tanigue, grilled prawns and seafood, chicken and pork dishes, rice, vegetables and salads. Filipino favourites include sinigang, adobo and kare-kare, while vegetarian options are available daily.

Breakfast may include eggs, bread, pastries, cereals, fresh tropical fruit and Filipino dishes such as tapsilog and longsilog. Coffee, tea and fresh juice are also served. A full bar offers San Miguel beer, house wines, spirits, cocktails, fresh coconuts, juices and various soft drinks, while unlimited drinking water is included.

Cabin Types

Sand Island Catamaran liveaboard has 16 guest cabins for a maximum of 32 guests. All include air conditioning, storage, 220V charging outlets and their own private bathroom with fresh water shower.

Master Stateroom

Two Master Staterooms are positioned forward on the bridgedeck. Each has a king-sized double bed arranged across the bow, together with a 3 ft couch or shelf along the outboard wall. A private WC and closet are included, and the cabin is entered from the centreline corridor.

Bridgedeck Cabin

Cabins 3 and 4 are located amidships on either side of the central corridor. Each accommodates two guests in two 36-inch single bunks and includes a private WC and closet.

Hull Cabin - Queen

Cabins A4 and B4 each contain a fixed 60 × 75-inch queen bed on a raised platform constructed above the fresh-water tanks. Both have a private en-suite WC and closet positioned on the inboard side.

Hull Cabin - Convertible

Ten hull cabins provide flexible accommodation for couples, buddy pairs and solo divers. Cabins A1, A2, A3, A5, A6, B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6 can be configured with either one 60 × 75-inch queen bed or two 36-inch single bunks, with the preferred arrangement selected when booking

Dive Deck

Sand Island Catamaran liveaboard Philippines is equipped for intensive multi-day diving schedules. Eight dive compressors are installed, with four able to operate at any one time and capacity for up to 160 tank fills per day. Full tank racks provide a minimum of two tanks per guest, while BCD and wetsuit hanging racks help keep diving gear organized between dives.

Freshwater rinse tanks are positioned on each dive deck, and dive briefings are provided before entering the water. Tubbataha charters include 21 dives, while the Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin route includes 18 dives and the El Nido–Coron–Apo Reef itinerary includes approximately 18–20 dives plus a regulated dugong encounter. NITROX is included on the itineraries described.

Experienced Tubbataha dive guides accompany diving in the national park. Optional services include a private dive guide, rental gear, snorkel gear, a snorkelling guide and scuba diving courses, including Advanced Open Water training aboard.

Safety

Divers are required to hold at least an Open Water certification or equivalent and should bring a dive log or dive computer history. Proof of dive insurance is also required. Guests with a known medical condition are asked to provide a health certificate from a doctor.

Non-diving Activities

There are several experiences beyond scuba diving on selected Sand Island Catamaran Philippines itineraries. The Palawan route includes a regulated dawn dugong encounter off north Busuanga, conducted as a snorkelling interaction with local guides.

During the El Nido–Coron journey, guests also spend an evening ashore at Sand Island Resort for a beach BBQ. Non-divers receive a 20% discount, while snorkel gear and a snorkelling guide are available as optional extras.

Between activities, the overnight sailing schedule makes the journey part of the experience itself, whether crossing the Sulu Sea towards Tubbataha or moving between the sheltered islands and dive regions of Cebu and Palawan.

Itineraries

The Sand Island Catamaran liveaboard schedule changes throughout the year, opening access to different Philippine diving regions as seasonal conditions shift.

Tubbataha expeditions operate as eight-day, seven-night trips from Puerto Princesa. After an overnight crossing, the diving schedule explores the North and South Atolls and Jessie Beazley Reef. Amos Rock is known for schooling hammerheads, thresher sharks and eagle rays, while Black Rock combines a coral-covered pinnacle with resident white-tip reef sharks. North Atoll offers dramatic walls with large sea fans and barrel sponges, and the South Atoll brings opportunities for manta rays, whale sharks and pristine coral gardens. The charter includes 21 dives.

From July through October, the vessel operates a Cebu round-trip itinerary combining Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin. Dawn diving at Monad Shoal centres on reliable thresher shark encounters before the route continues to Gato Island and Kimud Shoal. Moalboal brings the immense sardine run, walls at Pescador Island and turtle-covered reefs, while Dauin shifts the focus towards macro diving on black-sand slopes, where frogfish, rhinopias and blue-ringed octopuses may be encountered. Apo Island's protected coral reefs complete the trip.

From November through February, Sand Island Catamaran alternates between El Nido and Coron on a one-way Palawan itinerary. The journey combines manta encounters around Linapacan, wreck and reef diving around Chindonan, the historic WWII Japanese wrecks of Coron Bay, a dugong encounter off north Busuanga and two days of diving at Apo Reef. Among the wrecks mentioned are Olympia Maru and Akitsushima, while Apo Reef offers walls, resting white-tip reef sharks and barracuda at Apo 29.

When to Go

Sand Island Catamaran Philippines liveaboard trips are organized around three main seasonal diving regions.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is accessible only during its March-to-June season. The UNESCO World Heritage Site covers more than 97,000 hectares and supports over 360 coral species and 600 fish species, with encounters that may include whale sharks, hammerheads, thresher sharks, manta rays and dolphins.

From July to October, the schedule shifts to Malapascua, Moalboal and Dauin, using sheltered coastal routes with relatively short passages and calm overnight anchorages. September is reserved for annual maintenance according to the published 2027 schedule.

From November to February, itineraries alternate between El Nido and Coron and include Apo Reef, which is described as being in its prime season from December through May.