Bohol is located southwest of Panglao Island in the Philippines, with dive sites ranging from 5-35 meters deep and good visibility around 10 meters. Some of the top dive spots in the nearby Balicasag Island include Rico's Wall, known for coral gardens and large schools of fish at depths of 7-11 meters; Diver's Heaven, home to fusiliers, snapper, and turtles between 10-15 meters; and Black Forest, where divers can spot black corals and large predators below 30 meters. Popular resorts like Balicasag Dive Resort and Ananyana offer dive trips from Panglao to the spectacular sites around Balicasag Island.

1. Bohol

2. Basic Facts
 Southwest of Panglao
 Depth: 5-35m
 Viz: 10m +
 Currents: moderate
 Best months: Nov-May.

3. Dive spots in Balicasag
Resorts and dive centers in
Panglao also offer dive
trips to Balicasag Island

4. Dive spots in Balicasag
 Southwest Wall (Rico's Wall)
 At Rico's wall between 7 and 11 meters you will find a
shelf with coral gardens, then a wall descending to 35m.
The coral garden is the home of soft, leather and hard
coral, feather stars, starfish, smaller reef fish and
anemones with anemone clowns. At the edge of the reef
and in the shallower water you can watch
fuseliers, surgeonfish, jacks, snappers, wrasses, batfish,
moorish idols, anthias and damsels as well as
bannerfish.

5. Dive spots in Balicasag
 Diver’s Heaven
 A true aquarium with many Gold band Fusilier (Caesio
Caerulaurea), Big-mouth Mackerel(Rastrelliger Kanagurta),
Midnight Snapper (Macolor Macularis), Red tooth Trigger
fish (Odonus Niger) and Turtle. Between 10 and 15m are great
corals like Brown Daisy coral (Tubastrerea Micrantha) and
some big Bucket sponges (Xestospongia Testudinaria).
 Southeast Wall (Rudy's Rock)
 Here you often come across a shoal of big-eyed mackerels that
then circle divers for a few minutes. The wall has small caves,
projections and crevices with devil firefish, soldier and hussar
fish as well as morays. If you are lucky you can even meet
some soup turtles!

6. Dive spots in Balicasag
 Northeast Slope (Black Forest)
 A steep sand slope descends from the beach to a depth
of more than 40m. Here you will encounter coral blocks,
whip and soft coral, on the sand there are gorgonians.
After 30m you can admire forests of black corals as well
as groupers, barracudas, napoleons, wrasses, tuna,
batfish and snappers. In the shallow water you may see
morays, bannerfish, giant and orange-striped
triggerfish, surgeonfish in shoals, jacks, garden eels,
angel, emperor and peacock as well as trumpet fish,
puffers and flute fish.

7. Dive spots in Balicasag
 Cathedral Dive
 One will encounter among the overhangs Yellow Bucket
Sponges and on the walls are big and colorful sea fans.
You will see Barracudas and Angelfish and among the
shallow waters, the Snubnose Drummer (Kyphosus
Cinerascens). Off the wall, one will meet the Big-mouth
Mackerel (Rastrelliger Kanagurta) and close to the wall
are many Golden Sergeant fish (Amblyglphidodon
Aureus), Midnight Snapper (Macolor Macularis),
Pyramid Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichchthys Polylepis),
and also the One-spot Snapper (Lutjanus Monostigma).

8. How to get there
From Tagbilaran, Bohol:
 Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines offer domestic flights to
Tagbilaran City from Manila daily
 From Tagbilaran, hire a cab or rent a car going to Panglao
 Panglao is 15-30 minutes away from Tagbilaran
 Boats to Balicasag Island are available in Panglao (45 minutes)
From Cebu:
 Take a direct flight to Cebu International Airport or a domestic
flight from Manila
 From Cebu, take a ferry (Supercat or Oceanjet) to Tagbilaran,
Bohol

9. Places to stay
 Balicasag Dive Resort
 Website: http://www.philtourism.com/bidr_desc.html
 Ananyana (Panglao)
 Website: www.ananyana.com
 Belleview Rock Resort (Panglao)
 Website: www.belleviewrock.com

10. References
 www.ananyana.com
 www.belleviewrock.com
 http://www.bohol.ph/article22.html
 www.asiadivesite.com/philippines-dive-
sites/bohol/balicasag-island.php