Looking for OMFG experience. hard to impress kinda guy. Boracay and Bohol

[R-balljunkie]

Yokwe and Aloha.

Im travelling to the PI. March 19 thru April 2nd. A few days in MNL. Im travelling with a group of non-divers, but i dont care. im packing my BCD, reg, fins and computer in my luggage, and come he%^ or high water, im diving.

we are making planned stops in Boracay and Bohol, perhaps one more location, TBD

I must caveat, I live in the Marshall Islands and i dive lots....lots...lots. At least every weekend, 2 tanks minimum. Its pristine out here, no toursim and lots to see. With this said. what are my options for the WOW factor? Whale Sharks are high on the list for me. ill also haul my camera gear.....not my big rig, but my Oly XZ-1 and a single flash. Wanna take some great pics.


Suggestions please. I'll take all comments as gospel, and look into them. Ive heard that Yapak I, II are good for Boaracay, and more than one persons has suggested Victory divers.

Thanks in advance

Chuck

---------- Post added February 24th, 2013 at 07:39 AM ----------

also......all recreational diving, no tech........

 

[Edwin T]

Go to Moalboal,Cebu if whalesharks is top of the list dive shops there go to Oslob for whaleshark dive(feeding).....

 

[eagerbeaver]

Get on a day trip to Balicasag from Bohol. Best dives you'll get in that area.

 

[pughio83]

Hi, well re Boracay you will probably not get the wow factor you are after. I have spent nearly 6 months there on and off, and did most of my dive training there. It is an amazing place, with amazing beaches, great social place, to eat well, party hard if you want, and have some good diving, not great, just good, when compared to the rest of PI or Indonesia.

There are some decent dive sites, fairly easy, occasional current, and the macro is decent if you look. Lots of frogfish, ghost pipefish, there are Pygmy seahorses, plus occ eagle ray, turtle, white tip or grey reef. Camia wreck had some decent fishlife. Night dives at white beach are good.

Ok well yapak IMHO is overrated. Depth 30m+ with ok viz, you will prob see a white tip, sea snake and some jacks and barracuda. But prob not much else. There have been mantas, hammers, whalesharks, threshers all seen there but it is rare. I have dived there 15 times and seen one grey reef that's it on big pelagic action. There are much better places to go for big wow factors. You can be lucky but most of the time it's average and I really don't know what it gets such high rep. Crocodile island, santos place, camia wreck, balinghai are better.

But you are with a non diving party so it's an amazing place to go in a group. A compromise of land based activity and some decent diving.

If you want whalesharks go to Oslob, donsol or southern Leyte, though more limited for non divers ie southern leyte has nothing for non divers really.

Victory divers are good, I did my internship at calypso divers and can highly recommend.

Maybe you can get on a trip to panagatan from Boracay, overnight stay on boat, there you can have a wow factor experience.

 

[edpdiver]

I will put in another vote for Balicasag. I would rate that up there with Raja Ampat as my favorite diving anywhere. My recollection is that my favorite dive site at Balicasag was Black Forest. There are a lot of other great dives closer to Alona Beach, as well. Also, I have heard (but not experienced directly) that the dives around Cabilao are fantastic.
-Erwin

 

[pughio83]

Bohol would be a good location as enough land activities to occupy all and great macro around alona plus Balicasag is great, second that on black forest site. Also try pamilican island as occasionally get mantas with good viz.

 

[supergaijin]

How easy it is to get jaded with our expectations on dive sites. Pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefishes, frogfishes... that's cool stuff. I would love to get that kind of macro here in the Maldives... not to mention the nudis...

However it's true that the Phils have fished out most of their sharks and that's a crying shame.

Saying that, if you can ditch your friends and get to Malapascua (north Cebu), there is more than good chances of spotting threshers at Monad Shoal. As posted above they're also feeding whalesharks in Oslob, but it's more of a zoo than a dive AFAIK.

 

[wannadive64]

southern leyte has nothing for non divers really.

If you want to shop or party, that is true. But if you like nature and activities there is plenty to do with superb snorkeling from the shore and on boat trips, dolphin watching, uncrowded swimming (snorkeling) with whale sharks, sailing, island hopping, waterfalls, caving, trekking, zip line, jet-skiing (thankfully well away from the diving/snorkeling sites), old churches, hill-top shrines, etc.

 

[jbb]

I really like Alona Beach area with lots of eels and plenty of small critters. My dives at Balicasag haven't been as good as the dives along the beach. Maybe I haven't been going at the right time of year - usually May or November. My top destinations are Malapascua, Alona Beach/Balicasag and Dauin/Apo.

 

[pughio83]

If you want to shop or party, that is true. But if you like nature and activities there is plenty to do with superb snorkeling from the shore and on boat trips, dolphin watching, uncrowded swimming (snorkeling) with whale sharks, sailing, island hopping, waterfalls, caving, trekking, zip line, jet-skiing (thankfully well away from the diving/snorkeling sites), old churches, hill-top shrines, etc.

Sorry meant that in terms of decent hotels suitable for decent length stays for non divers, restaurants, beaches etc. yes there are lots of cultural things to see, caves and forest, whaleshark snorkelling tours etc I would certainly be happy but for non divers I think sitting on a beach being served Mai tai cocktails and enjoying a decent evening meal may be better found elsewhere. Unless of course everybody just wants to explore and have adventures! Southern leyte is one of my favourite areas in ppines!