SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKELING

Please join us as we explore the adventure and intrigue that is snorkeling and scuba diving around Cebu, Mactan Island, Olango Island, Hilutungan Marine Park and Cabilao Island.

SCUBA DIVING

Scuba diving is popular, scuba diving is easy and scuba diving is fun. Scuba diving as outdoor recreation is gaining in popularity, while participation in other pastimes is diminishing. Over 70% of the earth's surface is covered with water. The allure and mystery of the underwater world has inspired the human imagination since prehistory, from the mythological monsters described by seafaring people, to the modern underwater adventures in Hollywood films.

SNORKELING

The only requirements for snorkeling are an ability to swim and fairly good fitness as it is sometimes a strenuous activity. If you have not snorkeled before, give it a go and you will be richly rewarded. Many of the sites on the islands are shallow enough that you will find yourself mesmerized by the beauty below. The water is warm and you simply will not notice how long you have even been swimming.

DIVE SPOTS

Extensive reef systems, dense, colorful marine life and warm tropical water beckon divers from all over the world to Cebu. Just in front of the beach you’ll find an excellent and healthy coral reef. And boat diving is even easier. One prepares the equipment that is automatically carried to the boat. Many dive spots are just 10-20 minutes from the dive center. After entering the water, the current carries you along the wall. Divers surface when they run low on air and the boat will pick them up. All dives along the coastline are wall- and drift dives. Highlights include the famous Marigondon Cave and Tingo Point at Olango Island, a deep dive where sightings of thresher sharks are common. Here are some of our dive spots:

House Reef

Plantation Bay’s house reef is one of the best dive spots around Mactan and Cebu. The coral reef gradually slopes to about 5 meters and drops than straight to 50+ meters (160+ feet). The wall is really steep and sometimes overhanging.

Agus Reef

A nice drift dive along a beautiful wall covered with moistly hard corals. Usually divers are dropped and drift in a depth of 15-25 meters along the wall. Other marine life divers encounter are lion fish, moray eels, sea cucumber, soldier fish, pipe fish and occasionally a sea snake. A beautiful dive for beginners and advanced divers alike.

Tambuli Reef

You descent to an easy dive, sloping to a shelf at 22m. This is the point where reef fish are used to being hand fed. Smaller reef fish will approach you looking for handouts, and there are many sea stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, nudibranches and flat worms. If you are an underwater photographer, you will surely enjoy this spectacular place. Very often you encounter a ghost moray eel near the fish feeding area or on top of the reef.

Marigondon Cave

Only minutes from the resort is one of the most famous dive spots of Cebu, the Marigondon Cave. The cave is an opening in the wall which drops from 5 meters down to 40 meters. The entrance is bout 10 meters (30 feet) in diameter and the cave system is about 70 meters deep (210 feet), with several pockets at the side. At the entrance you find black corals, sponges, cup corals, squirrelfish, soldierfish and lionfish. Deeper inside you encounter a school of flashlight fish and bigeyes. Turn around, look out of the cave entrance and enjoy a spectacular view.

Tingo Shark Point

This dive is only for advanced divers. You have to make an open water descent to the top of a deep reef, where you find a sandy bottom sloping even to greater depth. Follow the slope and you find a drop off in a depth of about 40 meters, just at the depth limit for recreational diving. At the drop off you’ll encounter greater fish and often one or two thresher sharks. If you are very lucky some hammerhead sharks pass by.

More dive spots at Hilugtungan Marine Park and Cabilao Island on our day trips.

For more info on scuba diving in Cebu click Diving in Moalboal and Dive & Beach Resort Moalboal.