⌛ Bohol: A Popular Dive Destination

Bohol is among the favorite destinations for diving in the Philippines where divers will truly love their diving experience. Black coral forest, a reef with a tunnel, huge turtles, and a colony of sea snakes are among the interesting things that you will see within the different dive sites in Bohol.

Bohol is a popular tourist destination in the Philippines. Scattered within the waters of Bohol are many dive sites that are also popular destinations for divers.

The most popular diving destination in Bohol is Panglao Island that has four beaches with many dive resorts. A popular dive site in Panglao Island is the Arco Point.

The dive site has a tunnel that runs through the reef at about eight to 18 meters in depth. This is an interesting dive because sea snakes have a colony in the dive site. Other impressive things to see in the dive site are drop-offs, coral gardens, walls, and massive marine life and coral growth.

The Balicasag Island is another diving destination in Bohol that is about 20 kilometers from Panglao Island. The dive sites in the island are among of the best as well as popular in the Visayan Region. The main attraction for divers in the dive site of Balicasag Island is the black coral forest. A unique growth of black corals can be seen with reef fishes making home within the safety of the corals.

Another dive site in Bohol is the Turtle Point where the name derives from the turtles that make shelter inside the caves at the depth of 18 to 20 meters going down the wall. The wall in the dive site has feather stars and tropical reef fish covers the area. Because the turtles are shy, patience is required to be able to see them and it's worth the wait because some of the turtles are really huge.

The Cathedral Wall is another dive site in Bohol where an excellent dive is assured. Exploring the dive site requires a flashlight to be able to see what is inside the many crevices and cracks. Many pelagics are hanging off the wall flowing with the water current. Reef fishes, soft and hard corals, and sponges are among the sea life of the dive site.

The Pamilican Island is another diving destination in Bohol that is about an hour ride by boat from Panglao Island. The name of the dive site literally means, "resting place of the mantas". You are a lucky diver if you are able to see even just one manta ray in the dive site. At the northwest part of the island, a marine sanctuary is present where tunicates, gorgonians, anemones, and sponges will definitely give any diver an impressive dive in the dive site.

Bohol is one place in the Philippines that you will not miss to visit. With the abundant dive sites surrounding the place, your diving experience in Bohol will truly be magnificent.

 

Hmmm..where can I start..this sounds like Panglao circa 1970...Don't get me wrong...Panglao is a nice place to relax with outstanding beaches and a very mellow ambiance, we love it. Dive nirvana however...it isn't...not anymore...not for a very long time. Balicasag is good...but local dives around Panglao are a waste of time to anyone who has done some reasonable dives somewhere else...ie Hawaii, Australia, Micronesia...don't get me started on the Red Sea..Panglao would insult the shadow of a Red Sea dive...It's fished out, not to mention a bit of pollution, and you'd be very lucky to see anything over a 50cm within 5 k's of the island. Except Morays with strong stomachs...

But getting back to Balicasag....it's a decent boat ride and if you are the only one going expect your resort to charge a hefty premium for the privilege. Hope you get a few others. Furthermore, get out early cause it gets choppy around lunch time and your resort will likely not be interested in any afternoon dives if it's not glass at noon. Of course, if the weather is not ideal...you won't get there anyway. It is good though, water is clear, large wrasses, white-tip if very lucky, nice corals,...but the black coral...definitely no forest from what I saw....some strands down deep but I've seen tons more elsewhere...wasn't impressed at all. I haven't seen a turtle off Panglao for twenty years either...Cabilao does get them though sometimes. I won't bother dissecting this too much except to say...don't go there for the dives...but it is a great place to relax and see the sights with some of the friendliest locals you'll ever meet.

 

As someone who has just started diving again after some 20 years, I had very good dives during my 2 visits in June 2007. On one dive we saw an under-water river of some large Jack fish. On another I saw not one but two sea turtles. When were you last there? Spent a week there, and decided to return for the last few days on my 5 week trip. I stayed on Alona Beach both times. I must say there is little to do outside of diving there tho. Each day (almost) I rented a scooter and took a ride into Tagbiliran. Also visited the chocolate hills, had a dinner at the Bee Farm, which was very nice. Another great place is the Panglao Nature Park. On a downside, fresh water is almost non-existent. You could taste the salt while showering. Over all, I enjoyed my 2 stays.

 

Hi luvthegame. Last time at Panglao was June 06 at BBC. First time was April 81 with the family, also at BBC...and several times since...but I did make one recon trip by myself before that....1979/1980 sometime. Anyway, glad to hear you had some good dives and saw something there. I think I saw more plastic bags than decent fish last time there and was really disappointed. We moved on to Cabilao afterwards...stayed at Polaris...and it was like going to a different planet. While we love BBC for all the amenities, great fun, wonderful meals, superb staff, and many pleasant stays...Cabilao diving was a giant leap above anything off Panglao. And the resort was very comfortable and friendly too. Maybe bad luck for me...but I have seen a deterioration of Panglao for a couple decades. I'm probably a little spoiled from seeing some of the best in the world....but I know degradation when I see it. Anyway, glad to hear you enjoyed your time on Bohol. Probably our favourite island....lovely people and always a pleasure to visit...