Scuba Diving in Bohol

Diving in Bohol

Diving in Bohol wraps some of the Philippines' most reliable big-fish and turtle action around a comfortable, easy-to-reach base. From the resort strip on Panglao you can be on a Balicasag wall in half an hour, hovering as green turtles graze the coral and a tornado of jackfish spirals overhead. Nearby, a year-round sardine ball swirls off Napaling, the steep walls of Cabilao drip with gorgonian fans and macro, and the quieter reefs of Anda hide mandarinfish and the occasional passing whale shark. It's a region that does the crowd-pleasers and the connoisseur dives equally well.

Bohol is a large island in the Central Visayas, and most diving is based on Panglao, the smaller island joined to it by bridge and home to Bohol-Panglao International Airport. The water stays warm all year at 26 to 30 °C (79 to 86 °F), visibility on the reefs runs 15 to 30 m (50 to 100 ft), and the range spans easy shore reefs to current-swept walls for advanced divers. The best conditions come in the dry season from November to May, with the calmest, clearest water peaking December to February.

Diving areas around Bohol

Bohol works as a hub for four distinct dive areas, each with its own character.

Panglao

Panglao is the base for most divers, with the airport, the Alona Beach resort strip, and a near-continuous reef along its coast. Sites like Arco Point and the year-round sardine ball at Napaling are reachable as shore or short boat dives.

Balicasag

Balicasag is the star, a small marine sanctuary island about 30 minutes by boat from Alona. Its walls are famous for green and hawksbill turtles and a resident jackfish tornado. Diver numbers are capped, so it needs booking ahead.

Anda

Anda, on Bohol's quieter southeast coast, is the pristine escape. Its healthy coral gardens see far fewer divers, with strong macro, mandarinfish, and the odd manta or whale shark passing through.

Cabilao

Cabilao is a small island off Bohol's northwest, known for steep, coral-covered walls, huge gorgonian sea fans, and excellent macro like pygmy seahorses and nudibranchs.

Best dive sites in Bohol

The best dive sites in Bohol spread across the four areas, from Balicasag's turtle walls to Cabilao's gorgonian drops. Here are five that capture the range.

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Diver's Heaven (Balicasag)

Diver's Heaven is the site that makes Balicasag famous. A coral wall drops from around 5 m (16 ft) past 30 m (100 ft), and it's the best place in Bohol to see the jackfish tornado, a swirling column of thousands of fish that closes in around you. Green turtles graze the reef, snappers and sweetlips stack up along the wall, and blackfin barracuda cruise the edge. It's suitable for most levels when the current is gentle.

• Depth: 5–30 m (16–100 ft)
• Visibility: 15–30 m (50–100 ft)
• Current: Gentle to Moderate
• Level: All Levels
• Key species: Jackfish, green turtle, blackfin barracuda, snapper, sweetlips

Black Forest (Balicasag)

Black Forest, on the other side of Balicasag, is named for the dense black coral growing on its deeper slopes. The reef starts around 5 m (16 ft) and descends past 40 m (130 ft), and it's a classic drift dive when the current runs, carrying you gently along the wall. The deeper black coral and the current mean this one rewards good buoyancy and a bit of experience.

• Depth: 5–40 m (16–130 ft)
• Visibility: 15–30 m (50–100 ft)
• Current: Moderate to Strong
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Key species: Green turtle, black coral, anthias, reef fish, occasional barracuda

Napaling Reef (Panglao)

Napaling is Panglao's headline dive and home to a year-round sardine ball. A steep wall drops from the shallows to around 30 m (100 ft), close enough to the coast that you can dive it from shore or by boat, and above it hangs a dense, swirling storm of sardines that shifts and folds as you swim through it. Free-divers love it too, since the school often rises near the surface.

• Depth: 5–30 m (16–100 ft)
• Visibility: 15–30 m (50–100 ft)
• Current: Gentle to Moderate
• Level: All Levels
• Key species: Sardines, jacks, turtles, reef fish

Arco Point (Panglao)

Arco Point, also called the Hole in the Wall, is a Panglao favorite built around a vertical funnel in the reef. You enter the chimney at around 9 m (30 ft) and drop out through the wall around 18 m (59 ft), then work the reef down to 20 m (66 ft) and beyond. The cavern entrance and depth make it a step up, so it's best for divers with a little experience.

• Depth: 9–25 m (30–82 ft)
• Visibility: 15–30 m (50–100 ft)
• Current: Gentle to Moderate
• Level: Intermediate
• Key species: Moray eel, triggerfish, grouper, sea snake, reef fish

Gorgonia Wall (Cabilao)

Gorgonia Wall shows off why Cabilao is a wall-diver's island. The reef tops out around 5 m (16 ft) and drops to 60 m (200 ft), completely covered in coral, huge gorgonian sea fans, and sponges. Look close and the macro life is superb, with pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, and shrimp tucked into the fans, while the wall itself falls away into deep blue.

• Depth: 5–30 m (16–100 ft)
• Visibility: 15–30 m (50–100 ft)
• Current: Moderate to Strong
• Level: Intermediate to Advanced
• Key species: Pygmy seahorse, gorgonian fans, nudibranchs, reef fish, turtles

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Best time to dive Bohol

The best time to dive Bohol is the dry season from November to May, when the seas are calm and the boat rides to Balicasag and Cabilao are easiest.

Bohol dives well year-round, but November to May brings the flattest seas and clearest water, and the December to February window is the busiest for good reason. The sardine ball at Napaling and the turtles at Balicasag are there in every month, so the season is really about sea conditions rather than what you'll see.

Diving conditions in Bohol

Marine life in Bohol

Marine life in Bohol covers both ends of the spectrum, the big schooling spectacle and the tiny critters. Sitting in the Coral Triangle, the region delivers turtles and pelagic action on the sanctuary walls and world-class macro on the quieter reefs of Cabilao and Anda.

• Reef highlights: Green and hawksbill turtles, the Balicasag jackfish tornado, and blackfin barracuda
• Big schools: The year-round Napaling sardine ball, plus jacks and snapper along the walls
• Macro life: Pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, mandarinfish, and frogfish, especially at Cabilao and Anda

Green and hawksbill turtles: year-round, especially around Balicasag.

Jackfish tornado: year-round, especially around Diver's Heaven, Balicasag.

Sardine run: year-round, especially around Napaling, Panglao.

Pygmy seahorses: year-round, especially around Cabilao.

Balicasag is a managed marine sanctuary with a daily cap of 150 divers to keep pressure off the reef, and the surrounding waters have recovered strongly under local protection. Divers pay marine park fees that fund the sanctuaries and the wardens, and no-touch practices matter here, especially around the turtles and the fragile gorgonian fans at Cabilao. Give the turtles space rather than crowding them, and keep your fins well clear of the walls.

Discover more marine life on Divearoo's global heatmap.

Practical information

Dive prices

• Fun dives: Around ₱1,400–₱1,800 (about $25–$32) per dive from Panglao operators
• Park/permit fees: Marine park fees of about ₱250 per day for Balicasag or Napaling, and ₱500 per day for Pamilacan, usually added on top of the dive price
• Booking note: Balicasag caps visitors at 150 divers per day, so book ahead in peak season

Getting there

Bohol is one of the easier dive regions to reach, thanks to Bohol-Panglao International Airport right on Panglao, with flights from Manila and Cebu. The Alona Beach resort strip is only around 15 to 20 minutes from the airport. Balicasag is a roughly 30-minute boat ride from Alona, while Cabilao and Anda are further afield, reached by a mix of road and boat or dived from resorts based in those areas.