Bohol Diving Sites

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. Along its coastline are several Islets such as Panglao, Cabilao, Jao, Balicasag, Mahanay, and Lapinin which all offer excellent marine life.

The Danajon Bank or Double Barrier Reef, located off northern Bohol Island, is the only double barrier reef in the Philippines and is 1 of only 3 such sites in the Indo-Pacific. The reef is spread across almost 130 kms and consists of 3 large reefs.

Panglao Island 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 occasional black-tip sharks.

Farther seawards are schools of dolphins and pilot whales. Its coral gardens welcome you near the surface which is great for snorkelling. Its best assets are its steep walls with caves, overhangs and crevices home to abundant fish and invertebrate life. Listed below are the most famous among the dive spots in Panglao Island.

Balicasag Island 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.

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Cabilao Island 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 and 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.

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