 
Balicasag Dive sites | Panglao Dive sites
Dive Buddies Philippines
offers packages to Balicasag Island. You can either stay on the island
or on nearby Alona Beach on Panglao Island.
Balicasag is a mere speck on any map of the central Philippines,
lying some 60 kms to the southwest of a small island called Panglao, off
the southwest tip of Bohol. Although not quite deserted, it conforms pretty
well to the desert island stereotype; a flat, circular island covered in
palm trees and bouganvillea, and fringed by a shell and corraline beach.
There's a definite wilderness feeling about the place - which for many
is part of the island's appeal. Most striking is its size: at just 25 hectares
you can walk all the way around it in 45 minutes, and yet there is still
room for much more than just the small lighthouse tower in the middle of
the island. There's a local community of about 100 families, many of whom
make a living from collecting rare shells and selling them to tourists
on the beach. Balicasag Island Dive Resort,
the island's only scuba facility, is on the south side. With only 20 traditional-style
bungalows lining the beach, the island is never crowded, either above or
below the water.
Reading through this description,
you might get the feeling that Balicasag is as remote and inaccessible
as far-flung Tubbataha - which can only be reached by live-aboards. But
although it rivals Tubbataha for quality of diving, Balicasag really requires
no more than a modest amount of effort and time to get to. Its proximity
to mainland Bohol, which has good air and sea connections with the rest
of the archipaelago, ensures that reaching the island from the major Philippine
travel hubs of Manila or Cebu is ussually a matter of a few hours rather
than several days.
RECOMMENDED
DIVES
RESORT
WALL
The wall right in front of the
resort has excellent diving. There are slightly stronger currents here
than at other spots around the island, which means there's alot of nutrient
mixing in the water. The result is reef life that's particualrly active
and colourful. The wall starts about 30-50 meters(90-150 feet) off the
beach, in approximately 2-3 meters (6-9 feet) of water. The fringe reef
here is flat and relatively smooth, mostly covered in seaweed and a few
rocks, allowing comfortable entries and exits from the beach. There are
superb sea fans and a proliferation of reef fish - including dozens of
lionfish and scorpionfish.
BLACK CORAL
FOREST
The rare opportunity to swim
through a "forest" of black coral makes this dive an experience not to
be missed. Although this form of coral is ussually found below 50 meters
(150 feet), there's an area on the northern tip of the island where it
grows at a surprisingly shallow 30 meters (90 feet). Biologists have speculated
that the shadow of the island combined with the coolness and nutrients
provided by currents and upwellings "deceive" the coral into thinking its
at greater depth. The forest of bush-like coral has taken root on a portion
of the reef whee ledges and rock faces are interspersed with patches of
sloping sand. The coral trees are set wide enough apart for you to be able
to fin gently among them, altough you must take great care not to damage
any of them. Apart from the black coral, you'll also see schools of tropical
fish - such as morrfish idols, batfish and lionfish - along with assorted
nudibranches, including Spanish dancers. It's best to time your dive here
for a slack tide, or else make sure you have a boat ready to pick up if
the currents are strong.
CATHEDRAL
WALL
Situated on the southwest side
of the island close to the resort, this craggy section of wall has many
caves and recesses which are geat fun to explore. You'll need to carry
a torch to bring out the relief in the walls and illuminate the activity
of the caves. The reward is a kaleidoscope of marine life, including brilliant
reef fish which dart around among flourished corals and sponges, and schools
of big jacks which idle along in the current.
TURTLE
POINT
This dive takes you down the
drop-off on the eastern side of the island, and gets its name from the
turtles which hide in caves about 20-25 meters (60-75 feet) down. The key
word is "hide". Don't be surprised if turtles do not materialize immediately:
be patient, and if you're lucky you'll soon see what one diver described
as a "B-52 sized" turtle swim out of its lair. While you wait, you can
enjoy the scenery on the wall outside the caves: cushion stars, a profusion
of feather stars, and a vast variety of reef fish, including lionfish and
triggerfish. Mackerel are also common. In the shallower water here anemones,
always with their resident clownfish, are abundant.
THE CAVERN
Just a few hundred meters northeast
of the resort there are several small caves about 20-25 meters(60-75 feet)
down the drop-off wall. While these caves and adjoining walls are interesting
in themselves, the recommended procedure is to sit inside the cavesm relax
and wait for big fish to pass by. A particularly interesting time to dive
here is just before sunset - which reef biologists describe as "turnover"
time - when daytime and night-time organisms change shifts, feed and breed.
You're guaranteed underwater activity. Note that the shallowness of the
reef at this site can make diving from a boat very tricky at low tide,
especially if there's a prevailing northeasterly wind.
 
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