New rules for diving at Balicasag Island, Panglao, Bohol

[Gilligan]

Effective April 2015 new rules for diving at Balicasag have been implemented.

My preliminary information is as follows:
1. Only 10 divers per boat
2. 250 Pesos (approx $5.50 US) environmental fee per diver per day. Local dives are still 100 Pesos.
3. Dives must be booked by 4 pm the day before.
My understanding is there is a website that dive operators must book on by 4 pm at which time it shuts down.
4. Dive boats must have a Mayors Permit (business license) to go to Balicasag.

No doubt there will be a lot of wrinkles to iron out.

From the looks of it visitors will have to book Balicasag before they arrive otherwise there will be a lot of dissappointed divers
since Balicasag is the choice dive location for Panglao.

Will dive prices increase with a 10 divers per boat limit?

The upside and likely reason for all of this is to protect Balicasag's underwater environment.

I will update this as more info becomes available.

 

[jjwebster]

I do not think the price per dive would increase, the boats I was going out had groups of around 6 so dive shops are used to operating at this level. I'd imagine the boat operators/crew take a PHP cut per diver.

All in all good news, must admit when I first visited several years ago they seemed to be taking good care of the coral already, .i.e. the lines for the snorkelers to hold on to and making sure no one was standing on the corals, you only have to look at Pescador island to see what it could become.

 

[Gilligan]

More info on Balicasag:

Cut off booking time is 3 pm.
Only 1 boat per dive shop per day.
No Discover Scuba and no Certification dives

---------- Post added April 13th, 2015 at 08:07 PM ----------

I do not think the price per dive would increase, the boats I was going out had groups of around 6 so dive shops are used to operating at this level. I'd imagine the boat operators/crew take a PHP cut per diver.

All in all good news, must admit when I first visited several years ago they seemed to be taking good care of the coral already, .i.e. the lines for the snorkelers to hold on to and making sure no one was standing on the corals, you only have to look at Pescador island to see what it could become.

The per diver fee goes to the municipal government. They operate the booking website and bill the shops monthly. No refunds for no shows.

 

[Maverick17]

All in all good news, must admit when I first visited several years ago they seemed to be taking good care of the coral already, .i.e. the lines for the snorkelers to hold on to and making sure no one was standing on the corals, you only have to look at Pescador island to see what it could become.

I was there about 8 months ago and snorkeled out over the wall and it was gorgeous. But about 6 or 8 boats, maybe 20 or 30 people in a group from one nearby country, were over the shallow parts. Unfortunately, it was not like you described. All of them seemed barely able to swim, and mostly stood on the coral looking down at the fish. So I'm all for anything that helps preserve what they have.

 

[nudisusie]

Thanks for the heads up Gilligan - I will check if this affects my planned trip in June

 

[Gilligan]

Thanks for the heads up Gilligan - I will check if this affects my planned trip in June

It will affect you unless you pre-book your Balicasag dives (assuming you already have a shop booked). There is no way to be guaranteed Balicasag without pre-booking unless you roll the dice on finding a shop that does not already have their 10 diver limit.

I do my diving with Seaquest and they usually do a 3 tank dive at Balicasag. That makes even more sense now that it is limited to 10 divers per boat with 1 boat per shop per day. The environmental fee is per day not per dives.

I suspect shops will soon be charging a non-refundable deposit for pre-booking Balicasag dives.

 

[nudisusie]

It will affect you unless you pre-book your Balicasag dives (assuming you already have a shop booked).

I'm booked aboard the Philippine Siren Liveaboard and they are now checking if these new rules affect liveaboards or just the local shops. The yacht takes 16 guests on board which would in essence mean they would no longer be able to go to Balicasag which seems very odd.

Will let you know what i find out on that score

 

[Gilligan]

I'm booked aboard the Philippine Siren Liveaboard and they are now checking if these new rules affect liveaboards or just the local shops. The yacht takes 16 guests on board which would in essence mean they would no longer be able to go to Balicasag which seems very odd.

Will let you know what i find out on that score

Please do post the answer re the liveaboards.

 

[PataNegra]

Balicasag rules now:
- 10 divers maximun x dive center
- 2 dives x diver
- 1 boat x dive center with Mayor Permit
- Local taxes 250php, cameras 250 more
- Only under reservation. Book before or you dont dive...
- Maximun divers x day 150 (60 divers x spot x 5 spots ÷ 2 dives)
- No courses, no DSD in the island.

 

[Imelda Subora]

Thank you for all these information. We are planning to dive Bohol, Balicasag of course included, this June.