Dive Sites
1. LIGPO ISLAND - 3 star
Location: Just west of Ligpo Point
Access: 40 min north by banca
Conditions: Generally calm, but this dive can have some very fierce currents that change quickly. Not a dive for novices when currents are running. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 90ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft
This small island can be circumnavigated in one dive, but you may have to seek shelter from the current. There is a small drop-off and a cave on the east side and undersea mount on the west side, which slopes off very deep. The east(shoreward) side has all the expected reef fish and invertebrates, but when the current is running various pelagic species can appear out of the depths on the west side. At neap tides, this is a good night dive, with lots of flat worms, nudibranchs, moray eels, catfish and squid.
2. THE CATHEDRAL - 3 star
Location: Just off Bagalangit Point.
Access: 5 min by banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan Peninsula, until 140m off Bagalangit Point.
Conditions: Generally calm but can have some strong currents that make photography
difficult. Visibility can reach 80 ft. The site is best dived at neap tide.
Average depth: 62ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft plus
This is a Marine Park Sanctuary and probably the best known Philippine dive site. Originally quite barren, it has been seeded with coral from elsewhere and is now, due to incessant fish feeding, teeming with fish. The banca anchors in a shallow water and you may swim down and out across sand with small coral heads soon to be met by hordes of fish hoping to be fed. The site itself resembles a roofless cavern consisting of two large sea mounts, between which is a small cross planted at 50 ft by now ex Philippine President, Fidel Ramos in 1983 and blessed by Pope John Paul II. The site drops away in small steps, but becomes less interesting below 78ft. When the current is running there are colorful feather stars and inflated soft corals everywhere. Lots of colorful sponges and nudibranchs, hydroids, sea squirts, feather duster worms and algae coat the rocks in between stony corals with Christmas-tree worms in the corals.
The fish that pester you to be fed include all the smaller angelfish, butterfly fish, wrasse, triggerfish, Moorish idols, surgeonfish, damselfish and puffer fish. There are lots of parrotfish, anthias, trumpetfish, cornetfish and hawkfish, some blue linckia sea stars, sea cucumbers, small barrel sponges and anemones with clownfish and frogfish.
3. EAGLE POINT - 2 star
Location: Just west of Eagle Point, south of the Cathedral.
Access: 7 min by banca south along the west coast of the Calumpan Peninsula.
Conditions: Generally calm with a gentle current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth:60 ft
This is an easy dive, similar to the Cathedral, with a shallow drop-off from 25 ft to 60 ft. There are plenty of small reef fish, sponges, nudibranchs and feather stars.
4. KOALA - 2 star
Location: South of Eagle Point
Access: 10 min by banca
Conditions: Generally calm with a medium current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 60 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
A gradual slope from 30-80 ft, Koala is a good dive for novices with soft corals, stony corals, some big boulders, small reef fish and anemones with clownfish.
5. ARTHUR'S ROCK AND DEAD POINT
Location: Off the small point south of Koala
Access: 15 min south by banca
Conditions: General calm with little current, although it can get up to medium.
Visibility can reach 65ft
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 70 ft
Similar dive to Koala, these two sites gradually slope from 16 to 70 ft, offering small coral heads on sand, plenty of small reef fish, sponges, feather stars, soft corals, hydroids and anemones with clownfish.
6. TWIN ROCKS - 2 star
Location: Southeast of Twin Rocks
Access: 25 min by banca
Conditions: Generally calm with just a slight current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
The remains of a capsized barge lie here on a gradual slope with sponges, algae, hydroids, feather stars and small reef fish, sometimes schools of barracuda and squid.
7. MAINIT POINT - 4 star
Location: The southernmost point of Calumpan Peninsula known as Cazador Point on the charts.
Access: 30 min by banca south until off Mainit Point.
Conditions: This site is more exposed than most in this area. Currents can be very strong and afternoon winds can make the surface choppy and spoil the visibility. Best dived on a flood tide, preferably during neap tides. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft
Some rocks break the surface. A gradual set of boulders form mini drop offs from 16 ft to 100 ft plus. Due to the currents the marine life is plentiful and varied especially when the currents are running. There are good corals and the fish life includes Moorish idols, porcupine puffer fish, snappers, powder blue surgeonfish, jacks, scorpion fish, wrasse and fusiliers as well as all the smaller reef fish, angelfish and butterfly fish.
There is a cave 23 ft in which Whitetip Reef sharks have been sited. The boulders are festooned with soft corals and anemones, together with many crinoids, colorful Linckia sea stars and nudibranchs. Because of the fierce currents, one has to shelter behind rocks to be able to photograph.
8. RED ROCK - 2 star
Location: The east side of the Calumpan Peninsula opposite Arthur's Rock.
Access: 40 min by banca round the southern end of the Calumpan Peninsula.
Conditions: Generally calm with a slight current. Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 25 ft
Maximum depth: 40 ft
An underwater coral mound with lots of feather stars, nudibranchs, soft corals, hydroids and small fish.
9. BEATRICE ROCK - 4 star
Location: North of Sombrero Island at the northern end of Maricaban Strait.
Access: 40 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait.
Conditions: Generally calm, with strong currents, but this site is exposed enough to get very rough at times. Best dived during neap tides. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 45 ft
Maximum depth: 90 ft
Beatrice Rock offers a series of short drop offs with channels in between, from 16 to 90 ft and a pinnacle rising from 45 to 25 ft. There are large barrel sponges, good gorgonians, black corals, soft corals, stony corals, anemones with clownfish, nudibranchs and sea stars. The site is densely populated with just about all the reef fish you could expect including schools of triggerfish, snappers, surgeonfish, jacks and anthias. Occasionally, turtles and blue-ringed octopuses could be sited.
10. SOMBRERO ISLAND - 4 star
Location: North of Sepok Point, the northern end of Maricaban Island.
Access: 40 min by banca southwest across the Maricaban Strait until northwest of Sombrero Island.
Conditions: Generally calm with a strong current, but it can get rough on the surface. Visibility can reach up to 80 ft.
Average depth: 33 ft
Maximum depth: 60 ft
A medium slope from 16 ft to 60 ft the site contains much the same marine life as Beatrice Rock, but the fish life is less prolific.
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