Dive Sites
11. CHANNEL DRIFT- 4 star
Location: The Tabon Strait
Access: 15 min south by boat to the Tabon Strait.
Conditions: Very strong currents up to 7 knots; it can be rough on the surface.
Visibility can reach 65 ft.
Average depth: 60 ft
Maximum depth: 115 ft
Strong tidal currents flow through the Tabon Strait with great force, taking divers along a sandy bottom with patches of coral, canyons and crevices where smaller fish take refuge and bigger fish wait for the current to bring them food. There is an excellent drift-dive at 60 ft but it is important to have good buoyancy control.
On the south side a deeper drift-dive follows a ridge at 115 ft where there are some caves that often contain resting Whitetip Reef Sharks, Other cracks and crevices shield groupers, batfish and sweetlips and there are stingrays and garden eels on the sand.
12. UNIDOS POINT - 2 star
Location: On the east side of Caticlan.
Access: 20 min by boat south and then east through the Tabon Strait.
Conditions: usually dived as a sheltered site in bad weather. Visibility averages 65 ft
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
A bad weather site, shelving off to 80 ft on sand with coral outcrops, groupers, snappers, batfish, sweetlips, moray eels, garden eels, angelfish and butterflyfish.
13. NASOG POINT - 3 star
Location: The northwest corner of Panay Island.
Access: 25 min south by boat
Conditions: Generally calm with a gentle current, but ut can become very rough with a strong current. Visibility averages 80 ft.
Average depth: Open
Maximum: 115 ft
The site is a slope from 16 ft to 115 ft with boulders and canyons, so that unwary novices may find themselves indulging in saw-tooth diving(i.e. going up and down in response to the bottom topography and thereby rishing ear problems or the bends). The top 33 ft is the best, because of its soft corals and gorgonians. The fish life is limited, except when a strong current is running, but there is a good chance of seeing a turtle.
14. DOG DRIFT - 4 star
Location: South of Nasog Point.
Access: 25 min south by boat to the west side of Panay Island.
Conditions: Usually calm, with a medium-strong current. Visibility averages 80 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft
This 656 ft to 984 ft wall, running north-to-south, drops from 20 ft to 100 ft and abounds with caves, holes and crevices. There are lots more fish here than at Nasog Point, including groupers, snappers and pufferfish; there are also Spiny Lobsters, soldierfish, squirrelfish, cardinalfish, sweepers, schools of juvenile sweetlips, batfish and fusiliers, lionfish, scorpionfish, stonefish, hawkfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, Moorish Idols, stingrays and moray eels. Manta rays and turtles have also been seen here.
15. BURUANGA - 5 star
Location: Offshore from Buruanga village
Access: 35 min south by boat until off Buruanga, on the west side of Panay Island, south of Dog Drift and Nasog Point.
Conditions: Sheltered, though there can be strong currents. Visibility can reach 100ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 130 ft
The reef-top is a gentle slope from 16 ft to 23 ft covered in good soft, leathery and stony corals, From 23 ft the drop-off goes down to 130 ft, where there is a cave. There is everythings on this wall, including Spiny Lobsters, squid, Titan, Redtooth and clown triggerfish, pufferfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, soldierfish, squirrelfish, cardinalfish, anthias, chromis, most angelfish and butterflyfish, Moorish Idols, bannerfish, pennantfish, hawkfish, jacks, tuna, barracuda, snappers and sweetlips. There are also may nudibranchs and Bohadschia sea cucumbers. Definitely a photographers dive.
16. BLACK ROCK - 5 star
Location: South of Buruanga.
Access: 35 min south by boat to the west face of Panay Island.
Conditions: Usually calm, but it can get rough with a strong current. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 80 ft
Maximum depth 130 ft
Black Rock sticks out of the water and offers very good diving. The west side is a wall from 23 ft to 130 ft with caves at the bottom, good pelagic fish life and occasionally you may see Hammerhead Sharks.
The east side is shallow and sheltered with canyons, caves and crevices. There are plenty of fish, including batfish, snappers, sweetlips, jacks, trumpetfish, cornetfish, cardinalfish, soldierfish, squirrelfish, hawkfish, fusiliers, Titan and Orange-striped Triggerfish, Map, Star and Bandit Pufferfish, anthias, chromis, damselfish, sergeant majors and anemones with clownfish, as well as pelagic species.
17. CARABAO ISLAND - CATHEDRAL CAVE - 3 star
Location: The northern end of Carabao Island.
Access: 1 hr 20 min north by boat
Conditions: One would make this journey only in good conditions, but there can be a strong current. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 115 ft
Maximum depth: 130 ft
This is a very big cave with a large entrance, so, apart from the depth, it is safe for novice divers. At the back of the cave there are many cracks and fissures which often contain sleeping big fish, including Whitetip Reef Sharks. There is good fish life, and there is the chance you will see some large pelagic species.
18. CARABAO ISLAND - VILLAGE REEF - 3 star
Location: The center of the east face of Carabao Island.
Access: 1 hr 10 min north by boat.
Conditions: Generally calm, with occasionally a slight current. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 80 ft
A rich coral garden on a gentle slope from 23 to 33 ft is followed by a drop-off down to sand at 80 ft. The drop-off itself runs north to south for 660 ft.
The coral garden has profuse soft, leathery and table corals and there are good stony corals down the drop-ff. The large variety of reef fish includes surgeonfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, damselfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, pufferfish, parrotfish and chromis, with lizardfish, Blue-spotted Lagoon Rays, sea stars and sea cucumbers down on the sand.
19. CARABAO ISLAND - VILLAGE MOUNTAIN - 3 star
Location: Just north of the southeast corner of Carabao Island.
Access: 55 min north by boat.
Conditions: Generally calm, but there can be a strong current. Visibility can reach 82 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 100 ft
A large coral head drops down to sand at 100 ft. There are lots of good fish, including schools of jacks, fusiliers and snappers and plenty of colorful reef fish. With luck you may see some large pelagic species.
20. CARABAO ISLAND - WEST WALL - 5 star
Location: The southwest face of Carabao Island.
Access: 50 min north by boat.
Conditions: Generally calm but can be rough, usually some current, which can be strong. Visibility can reach 80 ft.
Average depth: 80 ft
Maximum depth: 130 ft
A big wall, 660 ft long, drops from 33 ft down to 130 ft with caves, good soft, leathery and stony corals on the reef-top and prolific fish life on and off the wall. Whitetip Reef and Grey Reef Sharks have been seen here.
The fish include batfish, snappers, sweetlips, jacks, trumpetfish, cornetfish, cardianlfish, soldierfish, squirrelfish, hawkfish, fusiliers, Titan and orange-striped triggerfish, map, star and bandit pufferfish, anthias, chromis, damselfish, sergeant major fish and anemones with clownfish as well as pelagic species.
21. MANIGUIN ISLAND - NORTH FACE - 5 star
Location: The northernmost point of the reef.
Access: By boat
Conditions: Variable - can be rough in bad weather; in good weather it is calm with currents varying with the tide. Visibility can reach 100 ft.
Average depth: 50 ft
Maximum depth: 150 ft
Most of the reef-top is a gentle slope from 33 ft to 65 ft with a mixture of coral heads on sand. Here, you will find top-quality soft, leathery, stony and whip corals harbouring a myriad of reef fish. These include most Pacific species of triggerfish, pufferfish, trumpetfish, cornetfish, parrotfish, batfish, catfish, Moorish Idols, angelfish, butterflyfish, Blue-spotted Lagoon Rays, cuttlefish, moray eels, garden eels, sand perch, nudibranchs, anemones with clownfish, sea stars and sea cucumbers. Every small hole seems to contain a Redtooth Triggerfish.
From 55ft there is a wall dropping to 150 ft though in some places it rises to 16 ft. Large spiny lobsters could also be seen.
The wall itself is full of caves and crevices, many of which contain Whitetip Reef Sharks and Nurse Sharks. Overhangs are covered with large gorgonians and Tubastrea cup corals. There are schools of surgeonfish, Midnight Snappers, jacks, sweetlips, batfish, Bumphead Parrotfish, bannerfish, pennantfish, fusiliers, barracuda, tuna, trevally, Eagle Rays, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, soldierfish, squirrelfish, sweetlips, parrotfish and Napoleon Wrasse. Hammerhead Sharks and Manta Rays have been seen here.
22. MANIGUIN ISLAND - SOUTH FACE - 5 star
Location: The south face of the reef
Access: By boat. To find the greatest number of sleeping Whitetip Reef Sharks in caves, line up the lighthouse with the prominent large white rock while ovr the drop-off.
Conditions: Variable - can be rough in bad weather. In good weather it is calm, with currents varying with the tide. Visibility can reach 100 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 150 ft
Drifting west with the current, it can be possible to cover most of the face in one very long dive. The wall and reef-top are very similar to the North Face. Majority of the dive despite blast-fishing, is beautiful with abundant reef and pelagic fish life. There are caves, crevices and overhangs on the wall, many of the caves contain Whitetip Reef Sharks.
Again, there are lots of large Spiny Lobsters and a large school of Bumphead Parrotfish, plus Napoleon Wrasse, large groupers, Eagle Rays, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, tuna, barracuda, snapper and trevally, as well as a myriad of reef fish, particularly in the center of the face.
At the western end of the face the top of the wall becomes shallower; the reef-top offers excellent snorkeling when there is no surf running.