Bohol has a great wide variety of dive sites. It has everything - the reefs, different kinds of corals, walls, big and small fishes, starfishes, and other life forms under the sea.

A good point to start is Panglao, a small island known for its quiet beach resorts and several dive sites. Trips going to the nearby islands of Balicasag, Cabilao and Pamilacan can be organized from here.

It is not advisable to go on your own. It is very difficult to find your way, even local drivers get lost, so don't be very excited...

You can find a nice snorkelling around the northwest and southeast coasts. This area is filled with lots of sea stars, sea snakes and corals. The area has been the center of seashell trade.


Another great place is the island of Balicasag. This small island lies about 10 km south-west of Panglao. It is surrounded by a coral reef for great diving and snorkelling. On the southern side is a 400m Marine Sanctuary which is protected and which local inhabitants know and respect. A great number of different sharks are seen from December to January.

Another island connected to the west coast of Bohol which has some of the best diving sites in the Philippines is the Cabilao Island. The sea surrounding the island is remarkably clear, very suitable for diving and snorkelling.

Cabilao is a great site for snorkelling although the some shallow parts have been destroyed by strong currents and typhoons. Amidst of this, Cabilao still ranks among the most beautiful islands in the Philippines.

Diving Sites: Napaling, Duljo Point, Pungtud Wall, Southwest Wall/Rico's Wall, Southeast Wall/Rudy's Rock, Northeast Slope/Black Forest, Kalipayan, Arco Point (The Hole in the Wall), Southwest Wall/Rico's Wall, Southeast Wall/Rudy's Rock, Northeast Slope/Black Forest, Cervera Shoal (Spaghetti Shoal), Pamilacan Island - Northwest Side, Hammerhead Point (Northwest Point),
Southwest Point (Drifting North), Southwest Point (Drifting South and East)

Napaling
Location. Located at the centre of the northwest face of Panglao Island.
Access. 45min-1hr by banca from Alona Beach west around the southwest end of Panglao Island.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 65ft
Conditions. Calm with some current. You would not normally make the journey if conditions were rough, but the current can be strong on spring tides. Usually done as a drift-dive with visibility up to 100ft.

This dive starts as a shallow coral shelf which is a rich coral garden, great for snorkellers and underwater photographers. There is small amount of blast-fishing damage, but not that much.

The wall has everything one would expect of such a site - good visibility, colourful soft corals, large sponges and crinoids, nudibranchs, flat worms, sea cucumbers and sea stars.

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Duljo
Location. Located at the southwest point of Panglao Island.
Access. 35-50min by banca from Alona Beach west around the southwest end of Panglao Island to its southwest tip, which is Duljo Point. (At low tide the bancas have to make a wide sweep around the reef edge at the southwest end of Panglao island, adding up to 15min to the journey.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 115ft
Conditions. Usually calm with a strong current, but can be rough with fierce currents with visibility up to 130ft.

A drift-drive takes you along the edge of a sandy slope with coral heads to 36ft, then drops off to a wall. Currents are usually strong

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Pungtud Wall
Location. Located at the outer edge of Pungtud Islet.
Access. 35min west by banca from Alona Beach to the western edge of the reef at the southwest end of Pangao Island.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 65ft
Conditions. Normally dived only in calm conditions, though there can be strong currents. Snorkellers should have banca cover when the currents are running with visibility up to 100ft.

This beautiful coral garden slopes from 2m (6'/zft) to 20m (65ft). There are good soft, leathery and stony corals with lots of small fish, sea stars, sea cucumbers and sea urchins, anemones with clownfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, pufferfish and wrasse.

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Kalipayan
Location. Just off Alona Beach.
Access. 6min by banca from Alona Beach.
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 65ft
Conditions. Calm with no current with visibility up to 80ft.

Known as the "Happy Wall", this is a pleasant short wall from 3m (10ft) to 20m(65ft)m with soft, leathery and stony corals, some small gorgonian sea fans, lots of small reef fish, small groupers and small barracuda.

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Arco Point (The Hole in the Wall)
Location. Off Arco Point.
Access. 12min by banca northeast
Average Depth. 33ft
Maximum Depth. 80ft
Conditions. Calm with little current. Visibility up to 100ft.

Sometimes called the "Hole in the Wall" because there is a vertical funnel which you can enter at 60ft and exit at 30ft.

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Balicasag Island - Southwest Wall/ Rico's Wall
Location. Located at the southwest wall of Balicasag sland, 6km (4 miles) southwest of Panglao Island.
Access. 45min by banca from Alona Beach to the sauth- west of Duljo Point.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 165ft
Conditions. Calm with variable currents but it can be rough and have fierce currents. You would not normally make this journey in rough weather, unless you were staying at the Balicasag Dive Resort. Visibility up to 130ft.

At Rico's Wall there is a coral garden on a shelf from 7m (23ft) to 11m (36ft); beyond that a wall drops to 35m (115ft). The coral garden is rich in soft, leathery and stony corals, hydroids, nudibranchs, sea stars, sea cucumbers, crinoids, all the smaller reef fish, anemones and clownfish.

At the eastern end, where this dive joins Rudy's Rock, there is a huge shoal of Big Eye Trevally that you can get in amongst. They will circle you for several minutes before becoming bored.

Rudy's Rock is a continuation of Rico's Wall and much the same, except that large Green Turtles are often seen there. These are both world-class dives.

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Balicasag Island - Southeast Wall/Rudy's Rock

Balicasag Island - Northeast Slopel/Black Forest
Location. Located at the northeast of Balicasag Island, 6km (4 miles), notthwest of Panglao lsland.
Access. 45min from Alona Beach by banca, southwest of Duljo Point.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 130ft
Conditions. Calm with strong currents but can get really rough with fierce currents with visibility up to 130ft.

The shallower waters have garden eels, moray eels, Titan and Orangestriped Triggerfish, shoals of surgeonfish, Moorish Idols, bannerfish and jacks, Emperor and Royal Angelfish, pufferfish, trumpetfish and cornetfish. There are also many Linckia sea stars, Choriaster cushion stars, Bohadschia sea cucumbers and colorful crinoids.

This is an advanced dive and novices should stay close to their divemaster.

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Cervera Shoal (Spaghetti Shoal)
Location. Located 15km (9 1/2 miles) east of Balicasag Island.
Access. 50min by banca southeast of Alona Beach.
Average Depth. 50ft
Maximum Depth. 200ft
Conditions. You would not normally dive here in rough weather and you should aim for slack water. Normally calm with currents with visibility can reach 100ft.

Often called "Snake Island" because it harbours several balck-and-white-banded sea snakes (hence the "Spaghetti"), this sunken island is a sea mount rising to 40ft. It is not too good for corals for corals but recommended as a dive into the blue, with lots of snakes and the chance of seeing some large pelagic fish. Novices should always be with their divemasters.

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Northwest Side - Pamilacan Island
Location. Located 23km (14 miles) east of Balicasag Island.
Access. 60min by banca southeast of Alona Beach.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 100ft
Conditions. Calm with medium-strong currents. You would not normally make this journey in bad conditions with visibility up to 130ft.

Known as "nesting place of Manta Rays", these impressive creatures are occasionally seen here. There are some good gorgonian sea fans, and Flashlight Fish inhabit some of the caves.

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Northwest Point - Hammerhead Point
Location. Located at the northwest point of Cabilao Island, by the Lighthouse.
Access. 2 hr by banca from Mactan island.
Average Depth. 100ft
Maximum Depth. 130ft
Conditions. Usually calm with strong currents; can get really rough with fierce currents. You would not normally make this journey in bad conditions with visibility up to 130ft.

An interesting double drop-off, first to 100ft then deeper. With strong currents, this dive is noted for small shoals of Hammerhead Sharks in December and January. There are lots of small gorgonian sea fans, large barrel sponges, good soft corals, sea stars and crinoids.

This dive has everything, but most divers would want to go deep in the hope of seeing Hammerhead Sharks, large groupers and large Napoleon Wrasse.

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Southwest Point - Drifting North
Location. Located at the southwest point of Cabilao Island.
Access. 2hr by banca from Mactan Island.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 130ft
Conditions. Calm even during rain, with strong currents; can get really rough wiht fierce currents. You would not normally make the journey in bad conditions with visibility up to 130ft.

Drifting north with the current, you are taken along a typhoon-damaged reef-top at 13ft, from which a wall goes down in two steps to beyond 130ft.

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Southwest Point - Drifting South and East
Location. Located the southwest point of Cabilao Island.
Access. 2hr by banca from Mactan Island.
Average Depth. 65ft
Maximum Depth. 130ft
Conditions. Calm even during rain, with strong currents; can get really rough with fierce currents. You would not normally make the journey in bad conditions with visibility up to 130ft.

A good wall drops to 130ft plus. Different underwater species with profuse fish and invertebrate life, make this a good dive. There are many species of sea cucumbers and sea stars, anemones with clownfish and tube anemones.

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