I recommend Bohol diving sites if you are looking for great corals, plenty of fishes and easy and comfortable diving. It is one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the Philippines, so you will not be alone. I was surprised that with the high number of divers, the corals and reefs quality was still so high. Bohol has some of the healthier corals I have seen recently. Go, and you won’t regret it.

Situated within the center of the Visayas, the realm of Cebu and Bohol offers some of the best dives in the country. Bohol is that the Philippines’ tenth largest island and offers divers much more than diving.

It combines lush natural beauty onto land with excellent diving and great underwater photography prospects.

Most areas around Cebu and Bohol have house reefs, accessible either as shore dive or some minutes boat ride from the beach. Day trips and boat dives offer access to a number of the Philippines hottest dive sites like Balicasag island and Pamilican island, with steep coral coated walls and schooling fish life.

Alternative dive sites offer reefs, wrecks, and caves for both beginners and advanced divers.

Macro divers will love Bohol as there are plenty of nudibranchs and critters to play with. But big fishes are also around, notably sharks, whale sharks, and barracudas.

Bohol Diving: Balicasag Island

Balicasag Island possesses a number of the most straightforward dive sites. The turtle point dive site is named for the many turtles inhabiting its caves. On the southwest of the island is the Cathedral Wall that has cracks that are fun to explore.

Royal Garden is at the northern part of the island, coated with thick coral, forming a plaything of multi-colored reefs with plenty of tropical fishes.

One of the most famous dive sites around Balicasag Island is the forest. It was given this name for the forest of black corals that are seen at around 30 meters of depth.

‘Divers Heaven‘ is Balicasag’s hottest site and for one reason. This vertical wall drops from six to forty meters and attracts species like the Napoleon fish, angelfish and lionfish. Sloping all the way down to forty meters deep, the forest can sometimes have strong current making it an enjoyable drift dive. You might also be lucky to see some turtles here

TIP: There is now a permit system limiting the number of people allowed to dive Balicassag in one day. So make sure you book your diving a few days ahead as they tend to get full.

Bohol Diving: Pamilican Island Dive Sites

Pamilican island is a small island that can be dived into two or three separate dives.

Once better-known for its trade whales sharks and dolphins, Pamilican’s residents have since stopped to focus on tourism.

Pamilican is one of the locations in Bohol where you have a chance to see big fishes like whale sharks, giant Napoleon fish, Manta-rays, stingrays, and reef sharks. As often, big fishes like to hang out in a strong current, so those sites are mostly recommended for advanced divers.

Bohol Diving: Cabilao Island Dive Sites

This island is found in the northwest corner of Bohol and may be reached from Alona or from Mactan Island to the north.

The depth of Cabilao dives sites on this island varies from 20 to 50 meters. There can also be strong current making it a good place for advanced divers.

There is a lighthouse on the northern tip. Corals are particularly beautiful on this dive site. Soft corals, gorgonians and crinoids make this dive site attractive. There are also big fishes to been seen so don’t forget to look out in the blue from hammerhead sharks, mackerel, barracuda, jacks, groupers to tuna.

Drift diving is best on the southern side of the island wherever the main wall descends. The wall is beautiful with several gorgons and sea-fans corals.

The best dive sites on this island are Cambakis point, South Point and the lighthouse.

Bohol Diving: Panglao Island Dive Sites

Panglao Island is famous for its amazing white sand beaches and its clear blue water.

There are some lovely and fantastic dive sites that can be found including Alona Beach Sanctuary, Bohol Beach Club and Kalipayan, Doljo Beach, Napaling and Puntod.

TIP: I dived those sites around the full moon, and the fish activity was incredible, so I highly recommend you trying to time your trip with the full moon.

The coral gardens are spectacular, and a delightful style of underwater marine life can be found. From lionfish to snakes. You are however unlikely to see big pelagics on those dive sites

The dive sites on the northwest tip of the Panglao (Doljo Beach, Napaling and Puntod are deep. This means that the current can be intense. These dive sites are better-known for their steep walls and slopes. The gorgonians are spectacular, and there is a large number of small marine life. The depth of the dive sites and current means that you might even get lucky and see a shark

Who to dive with in Bohol?

I don’t think I have ever seen a place with so many dive operators per square meter as Panglao.

The high competition means that the quality is excellent and the prices are very low. Think about 20 Eur per dive.

I tried three dive shops when I was there, and I would recommend them all.

Tropical diver is conveniently located in the Alona Tropical Beach resort hotel near the beach. They were very efficient. They cater mostly to Russian guests. As the only not Russian on the boat, I didn’t feel very comfortable.

Prana diver. Great dive shops managed by a Dutch group. Very professional, nice boat and sound equipment. The only inconvenience is that their dive shop is not near the beach, so it does add another stop and extra transfer. They were also 30 minutes late in picking me up at Donatela resort. So between my original pick up time and boarding the dive boat, it took 70 minutes, which is too long. I would rather spend that time in bed or do another dive. 😊

Piratas Alona dive center was my favorite dive shop as they are right on the beach. They have a comfortable boat. The divemasters were locals and very friendly. It was well organized and Always with a good vibe.

 

Where to stay in Bohol Panglao

Most dive shops are located on Alona beach. The best hotels in Alona Beach are Amorita and South Palm Panglao. You can check the latest rates and availability here:

I didn’t like to vibe in Alona beach. Too many Chinese mass tourism. It reminded me a bit of the Costa Brava in Spain with plenty of bus tours. So I stayed at the Donatela resort which is a bit out of town.

It is an oasis of peace. I enjoyed relaxing in their huge botanical garden in the days I was not diving. I highly recommend it, and you can read my review here.

You can check the latest rates and availability here.

When to go to Bohol

The best diving conditions in Bohol are between November and May. Even though September to December is hurricane season, Bohol is not overly affected by it because it is located outside of the hurricane belt.

January to May is the dry season in, and those are the months with the best underwater visibility.

TIP: The water temperature ranges between twenty-five and thirty degrees. A 3-5 millimetre wetsuit is usually recommended.

I was in Bohol during the full moon and the dives on the day of the full moon were spectacular. We got caught into a school of over 1 million small fishes!! So if you can, try to dive on full moon day. You might get lucky as we did.

Happy Diving

 

For more diving inspiration in the Philippines, read my review of the Discovery Palawan diving cruise to Apo Reef and Coron

Have you been to Bohol? please leave your comments below