Bohol Diving Vacation
There
are a number of Bohol Diving spots that offer excellent diving. Balicasag,
long known for its exotic seashells, (the natives net-fish the deeper waters
for rare specimens), and its cascading coral walls is considered one of
the best dive spots in the country.
The waters off Pamilacan Island teem with schools of tuna, snappers, groupers, mackerel and surgeonfish. Dolphins and pilot whales can also be viewed from the distance.
Bohol is the tenth largest Island in the whole Philippine archipelago and lies at the very heart of Visayas. It is famous for its crystal springs, white-sand beaches, ancestral homes and ancient churches.
Along its coastline are several Islets such as Panglao, Cabilao, Jao, Balicasag, Mahanay, and Lapinin which all offer excellent marine life.
The Chocolate Hills are just one of the many wonders of the province. Bohol is also the home to the smallest monkey in the world, “tarsier”. These gentle mammals can normally found in the hills of Corella.
Panglao Island Bohol Diving
Panglao Island a small coralline island located near the south western tip of Bohol.
The north and western section of the reef are noteworthy, with a reef platform that is relatively narrow and shallow (15-20ft/5-6m) that has an edge terminating into perpendicular submarine cliffs, plunging down to depths 100-170 ft/33-56m.
The reef is thickly covered with hard and soft corals, branching table, sacrophyton and lobophyton varieties. Near the cliff are schools of tuna, mackerel and surgeonfish.
At 90-100 ft/30-33m depths are big snappers, groupers, and an occasional black-tip sharks. Farther seawards are schools of dolphins and pilot whales.
Its coral gardens welcome you near the surface which are great for snorkelling. Its best assets are its steep walls with caves, overhangs and crevices home to abundant fish and invertibrate life.
Balicasag Island Bohol Diving
Balicasag Island is where you will find a 400 meter Marine Sanctuary of healthy corals with plenty of pelagic visitors characterized by vertical walls over deep waters with strong currents. A dive in December or January can offer treats of Hammerhead Sharks and sometimes Whale Sharks.
A sandy shell coral line beach surrounds the island, which in turn, is fringed by a narrow reef shelf, 30-165 ft/10-55m wide. The shelf, which is 15-25ft/3-8m deep, terminates into a perpendicular underwater down to depths beyond 250ft/83m on the north and northwest face of the reef.
The top of the submarine cliffs are covered with the hard coral while lower levels are covered with sponges and gorgonians.
A thriving fish community is found around the cliff area. Here, jacks, mackerel and barracudas are seen in abundance.
On the south and southwest portions of the shelf are wider and grades down to 60-70ft/20-23m. The slope is covered with wide patches of hard and soft coral.
The submarine cliffs are indented with caves and overhangs where large groupers, napoleon wrasses and snappers hide.
Cabilao Island Bohol Diving
Cabilao Island is south west of Pangangan Island across the Bohol Strait. A small island of Lo-on, Bohol. It is 1 hour 20 minutes boat ride by banca from Mactan Island, Cebu. Diving in the area is centered in front of the light house.
Has some of the best divesites in the Philippines and is particularly noted for Hammerhead Sharks in the deeper waters off its northwest point, an exciting dive for the more experienced.
Pamilacan Island Bohol Diving
Located in the eastern side from Panglao Island, the Island has strong currents which is great for drift diving. The Island has a gradual slope of white sands and isolated corals but is known for its big Napoleon wrasse and large pelagic fishes.
Cervera Shoal Bohol Diving
This site is 15 minutes ride by banca from Pamilacan Island, this area has an abundance of corals and is famous for its sea snakes and different colors of frog fish
Duljo Point Bohol Diving
This is the furthest most tip of Panglao Island. The dive site is a long 80ft/26m wall stretch from Napaling to the tip most of Duljo, facing Tagbilaran City. Diving is very good especially during the south monsoon winds because of its strategic location. Just recently, a school of hammerhead sharks have been sited in the area.
| Bohol Diving Sites | Depth |
|
| Napaling Duljo Point Pungtud Wall Balicasag Island/Rico's Wall Balicasag Island/Rudy's Rock Balicasag Island/Black Forest Kalipayan Arco Point (The Hole in the wall) Cervera Shoal (Spaghetti Shoal) Pamilacan Island-Northwest Side Cabilao Hammerhead Point Cabilao (Drifting North) Cabilao (Drifting South & East) |
20 m 10 m 15 m 15 m 20 m 10 m 10 m 15 m 20 m 30 m 20 m 20 m |
35 m 20 m 50 m 50 m 40 m 20 m 25 m 60 m 30 m 40 m 40 m 40 m |
Getting There
The closest airport is at Tagbilaran in Bohol and there are three (3) times a week flights which will take you an hour. It's another 1/2 hours by taxi, jeepney or tricycle to Panglao Island.
Bohol is readily accessible by sea. High speed ferries run between Cebu City and Tagbilaran from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. The trip takes 1.5 hrs. This makes getting to Bohol from other dive areas in the Visayans quite easy.
Sources:
Philippine Dept. of Tourism
Bohol Foundation
Wikipedia and Wikitravel
HotelClub.com
World66
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