Bohol - Balicasag Island

The MSY Philippine Siren... My Knowledge collection platform

If you ask diver's what the top ten dive sites in the philippines are there is one island that will be mentioned in that list more than 90% of the time.  A small Island lying off the coast of Alona Beach in Bohol this destination has been a dive haven for a few decades.  I speak off course about the diver's heaven that is Balicasag island.

Balicasag is surrounded by 5 very big and extremely colorful dive sites.  The dive sites circumnavigate all of this small island.  Balicasag is one of those reefs that give you a taste of a little of everything; from big schools of trivially and barracuda, to turtles, to amazing macro life not as easily spotted.

On the side facing pamilacan Balicasag has a black coral forrest one of the few ive seen in waters at home.  Yes it is a little deep but very much worth burning some bottom time for difinitely one of my favorite parts of the island.  If youve got a guide who knows what he's doing a dive on this side will start with a large school of Trevally or Barracuda (ive never seen them together) after which youll descend to the black coral forrest.  After a few minutes of that a slow ascent to end right on the shallow reef top to see some turtles as well as other critters in the sea grass area.

Balicasag is a Photographers dream dive destination as one can just spend hours and hours on the reef top just snapping away at either the interesting and intriguing uw species, or even just the colorful scene as a whole great photos are sure to come from this destination.  And not available to most unless your on a live aboard, night dives at balicasag are simply amazing.  With a cast of critters such as spanish dancers, flatworms, decorator crabs and on many occassions blue ring octopus night dives on balicasag are simply wonderful.

The first time I dove balicasag I was but a boy of 11 maybe 12, and 20 years later the dives seem just as good as they were 2 decades ago.  This cannot be said about many of the philippine's Diving Destinations.  Pure political will keeps Balicasag as beautiful and pristine throughout the years and for many more to come.

Hopefully one day my 11 yr old child and I will dive this reef and I can tell him "its just as good as it was when I was a Dive Guide"...


For more info on Alona beach and balicasag packages email m.santos@bluewaterexpeditions.net