A small island with a total land mass of just eight square kilometers, Cabilao is located west of Bohol, just a short distance from Cebu. Home to about 3,800 people, the island is surrounded by gorgeous sapphire waters, where more than 800 species of coral and countless species of fish and other creatures can be found. Whether you want to dive with whale sharks or simply wish to spend time relaxing in beautiful surroundings, this is one of the best places to do it. Declared a Marine Reserve by the Philippine Islands Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the area is pristine and offers plenty of diving for all levels. Let’s take a look at a handful of Cabilao’s best dive sites.
Gorgonia Wall
Also known as the Cabilao House Reef, Gorgonia Wall is swathed in hard and soft coral, along with huge gorgonians, all of which create a splendid backdrop for photography. Look for rare pygmy sea horses among the gorgonians, plus many different nudibranch species, well-disguised frogfish and rockfish, plus plenty of crustaceans. Out in the blue, watch for tuna and jacks, reef sharks, and grinning barracuda. This wall begins at just 5 meters and drops away to 60 meters. Schooling hammerheads can sometimes be encountered after sunrise or before sunset, at depths below 30 meters.
Lighthouse
Featuring a splendid sandy slope covered with corals and sea grasses, Lighthouse begins in shallow water and eventually meets the seabed at a still comfortable depth of just 20 meters. An outstanding site for macro life, it is home to lots of small creatures, including leaf fish, ghost pipefish and harlequin ghost pipefish, Pegasus, and seahorses. Fantastic during the daytime the site really comes to life once the sun goes down, when the crabs and shrimp are at their most active. Watch for sea snakes and crocodile snake eels, too.
South Point
An excellent site for all divers, and at its best during the afternoon when the sun’s ambient light plays across the colorful corals and sponges that make this underwater garden so magical, South Point is situated on a gentle slope. Offering depths between just 5 and 12 meters, the site is home to a wealth of nudibranchs, lots of crustaceans, and plenty of tropical fish in a rainbow of colors. Watch for octopus and stonefish, and be careful where you put your hands – there are lots of scorpionfish hiding in the coral!
View Point
A fantastic plateau situated at depths between 25 and 30 meters beneath the surface, this is another great place to encounter schooling hammerheads in the mornings and late afternoons, when they come up from deeper water below. You can also see lots of white tip and black tip reef sharks here, along with schooling jacks, trevally, and other pelagics. Look for sleek barracuda hunting among the schooling snappers and baitfish, and don’t forget to look for pipefish and seahorses, including thorny seahorses, among the coral.
Cambaquiz
Divided into two dive sites, Cambaquiz is a fantastic multi-level area. Along Cambaquiz Slope, which descends gradually from shore, you’ll find lots of well-hidden creatures, including stonefish, octopus, sea needles, lots of pipefish, and plenty of shrimp and snails. Cambaquiz Wall begins at a depth of just 10 meters and drops away to meet the seabed at a depth of 70 meters. All along the wall, which is wreathed in soft coral and gorgonians, plus some splendid hard corals, you’ll find little grottoes where baby sharks can be found hiding. At a depth of 30 meters, there is a cave which is large enough to enter – look inside first, because sometimes there are sharks resting. There are plenty of pelagics schooling outside, and like the other deep sites nearby, this is a good place to spot hammerheads at times.
There is a nominal fee of 100 pesos per diver to visit Cabilao, which goes to help pay for site conservation. Divers can either stay on the island at a small resort, or visit via day drip from Cebu or other nearby islands. Wherever you decide to stay, be sure to plan in advance – the possibility of diving with hammerheads makes this a top diving destination.