Choosing a diving spot around Panglao island

[Luko]

I guess it depends on the spotter you have with you.

The same guy I've been using in the past 10 years as a private guide on Alona : a 25 years experienced local filipino spotter who could show me more than a dozen okenia nudibranches on one dive

 

[Nedster]

Oh well, it happens I was back in Alona this week, diving with one of the most experienced guide on the strip, YMMV but I completely assume the assessment I wrote. My feeling about the recent dives (I might post a trip report with photos later on) were that the the best were getting even better while the lesser interesting sites became really poor to dive :
- Balicasag esp. Black Forest was fantastic during full moon. Fish were shooling everywhere, Cudas, Jackfish, Snappers, Mackerels, Bannerfish, Fusilier... I even missed the odd whaleshark.
- Alona locals sites were quite poor critterwise (even less interesting than 5 years ago) apart from 2 spots where you could find bunches of Okenia Nakamotoensis and Kondoi (I hadn't seen so many in the pre Covid years), Danao wall included which was very currenty but remotely interesting in terms of variety. That said I missed another whale shark on Kalipayan wall while I was my head into an Okenia laden cave.
- Doljo wasn't worth the trip AT ALL, very mundane diving, and the sardines school at Napaling was fished out, hence we didn't even bother go.

Hi Luko, how are you? Just some up-to-date information. The sardines are back at Napaling in huge numbers. Let's see how long they last, I guess.

 

[Luko]

The sardines are back at Napaling in huge numbers. Let's see how long they last, I guess.

Good to know Ned, hope they'll still be there next time I am back, so I'll ask for a Napaling/Gak Ang combo

 

[Nedster]

Good to know Ned, hope they'll still be there next time I am back, so I'll ask for a Napaling/Gak Ang combo

Before Typhoon Odette, Gak-Ang was my favourite dive site here by a country mile. It's still beautiful, but I liked it much more before.

 

[Sbiriguda]

I am again in Panglao! Will ask/give some info on this topic in the next days.

 

[Sbiriguda]

Today I had 2 dives at Napaling reef, inside the Bohol Kalikasan resort. Very nice wall dives for me, the coral is healthy and colourful, there are many fishes of different species and I saw among many the frog fish and the pipefish. Schools of sardines too. I was diving with the Bohol Sea Resort dive shop, the guide Jerwin spotted several tiny creatures, like nudibranchs and so, that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise

 

[divingdayz]

Today I had 2 dives at Napaling reef, inside the Bohol Kalikasan report. Very nice wall dives for me, the coral is healthy and colourful, there are many fishes of different species and I saw among many the frog fish and the pipefish. Schools of sardines too. I was diving with the Bohol Sea Resort dive shop, the guide Jerwin spotted several tiny creatures, like nudibranchs and so, that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise

Hi, we also dived at both Napaling and Doljo Point yesterday. Both sites were fine. The reef is a lot healthier at Doljo, but all-in-all, it was good diving.

 

[Sbiriguda]

I have been diving in Balicasag too at the Black Forest and another spot I can’t remember, both very nice dives especially Black Forest with the school of jackfish. Then I dove in a spot called Swiss bamboo in the Alona reef, not bad too even if it’s not comparable to Balicasag

 

[SK Academy Panglao]

Balicasag is considered the best spot in Panglao and it has 3 different dive sites on it. Pamilacan is somewhat similar but can be a hit or miss with visibility and currents. There are other amazing dive spots like Doljo, which is a personal favorite. All local dives are great, but if you have to choose I'd say Balicasag, Doljo, and a night dive in Alona Reef, or Danao Wall.

You can check the full dive site list here - https://www.divingpanglao.com/dive-sites

 

[JonnieB]

Balicasag is considered the best spot in Panglao and it has 3 different dive sites on it. Pamilacan is somewhat similar but can be a hit or miss with visibility and currents. There are other amazing dive spots like Doljo, which is a personal favorite. All local dives are great, but if you have to choose I'd say Balicasag, Doljo, and a night dive in Alona Reef, or Danao Wall.

You can check the full dive site list here - https://www.divingpanglao.com/dive-sites

You do know the op post is 6 years old