Where to dive in late March for must-see PI experiences?

[ocdiver1]

Sogod Bay Scuba Resort. Although I hadn't asked them again for this trip, when I'd asked them in the past another time I'd thought of going they'd only said one could only with the whale sharks and not dive. But maybe this was just with them based on what youre saying...I'll have to ask around when I'm there!

 

[Quero]

Here's what I think is causing the confusion--in 2008 a local ordinance designated parts of the bay as whale shark marine protected areas. And they developed a community staff (not dive op staff) of local whale shark spotters who are paid some fee for the service. When a dive op offers a "whale shark watching" tour, it hires one of these spotters, and when the sharks are found, visitors are only permitted to snorkel since they are in the protected areas, and there's something like a 95% chance of seeing the whale sharks on these outings. However, it's also common to see the sharks outside these protected areas, and in these places you can be on scuba with them. I guess when the ops sell "whale shark" trips, customers really absolutely expect to see the animals, as if it were a zoo, rather than just being in the water where they are often seen, in the way we see most marine life. So maybe ask for dives in areas where the whale sharks are commonly seen but are not guaranteed to be seen....

 

[wannadive64]

It may depend on what resort/shop you're booked with whether they'll take scuba divers on whale shark trips.

Only snorkeling with the whale sharks is permitted in Southern Leyte. One clever Dick operator sometimes takes his customers diving where the whale sharks congregate. It's pretty average diving there, the chances of a whale shark swimming past the divers are very low, and they've been known to miss out on whale sharks completely because they were underwater while other people following the rules were snorkeling with the whale sharks a couple of hundred metres away. If you want to dive with whale sharks being fed artificially then Oslob is the place to go. If you want to see them in the wild, and follow the rules, then it's snorkeling only.

 

[Hydreliox]

You have most of the information already, so all I am going to throw out there is.....Evolution in Malapascua (I do my technical training with Matt there and it is fantastico!) and Liquid Dumaguete (I work there and think it is spot on - but I might be biased )!

Lived in Dauin for over a year now and spent half a year on Malapascua - it's nice out here

Wherever you end up going, you will have a blast. Very friendly country, great diving and some good grub if you hunt it out!

Bohol may be another option to investigate!

 

[outpost31]

Thanks for all the info! Scuba-Diving with WS isn't a deal breaker, just seeing them will be amazing. I would prefer better vis and less of a zoo experience with big crowds, altho wherever I go I'm sure it will be very popular!

If I go to Malapascua, Dumaguete & Sogod, which airport will I be using? Manila then ferries down to Cebu?

@Ocdiver- Can you let me know how your experience goes at Sogod Bay pls? Thanks and good hunting mate!

@Matt & Hydreliox...Thanks guys, I'll check out your sites but I'm sure they're great if you guys work there!

 

[wannadive64]

If you have only 7 - 10 days you should settle on no more than 2 out of your 3 options, otherwise you will lose a lot of time travelling. Much better to fly than take a ferry from or back to Manila. Fly to Tacloban for Sogod Bay, Cebu for Malapascua or direct to Dumaguete.

 

[outpost31]

Thanks Wannadive, 7-10 days is just a rough estimate at this point as I don't know how much anything is going to cost yet. Malapascua and the WS are a must but if I can fit another in that would be great. I don't mind long journeys between places as long as it's cheap.

I've read that @Malapascua good dive sites are: Monad for TS, Lighthouse, Gato, Calanggaman Is. What would be the must-sees?
I think I'm leaning towards Sogod for WS but I'm still open depending if I'm going to another place like Dauin or Bohol.
If I had time/money for a 3rd, what would be best for my needs/what I may see there...Dauin,

Padres Bugos, Bohol?

@Ocdiver...What dive sites did you do/would recommend at Malapascua?​

 

[Quero]

Only snorkeling with the whale sharks is permitted in Southern Leyte.

Are you certain that the prohibition is that broad, taking in the whole province of Southern Leyte? It's my understanding that there are a number of protected areas established by specific municipalities, and that in these areas only snorkeling with the whale sharks is permitted. Outside these areas, even nearby them, it's acceptable to dive with the sharks--it's not against the rules. Now whether a diver would rather take a chance on a possible encounter on scuba versus virtually guaranteeing a snorkeling encounter with the help of the "spotters" is a personal choice rather than a question of following rules.

 

[wannadive64]

Outpost. To get in 3 places, then Padre Burgos, Bohol, Dauin would be efficient in terms of travel and give you some great diving. Fly to Tacloban, ferry from Leyte to Bohol, ferry from Bohol to Dumaguete and fly back to Manila. Would also work in the other direction, or by starting in Cebu and using ferries. You should plan on the basis that a transfer between 2 locations will take a full day.

Quero, you are of course correct. You can dive pretty much wherever you like, subject to paying sanctuary fees if applicable, and a whale shark may swim by you. If you dive every day of the year you may, if you are lucky, see a whale shark a couple times in this way. But the chances of this happening to someone on a 1 or 2 week holiday are remote. So, for practical purposes, if you want to look for whale sharks in Southern Leyte you need to go to the recognised whale shark sanctuary, pay for guides and spotters, and snorkel.

 

[ocdiver1]

Thanks Wannadive, 7-10 days is just a rough estimate at this point as I don't know how much anything is going to cost yet. Malapascua and the WS are a must but if I can fit another in that would be great. I don't mind long journeys between places as long as it's cheap.

I've read that @Malapascua good dive sites are: Monad for TS, Lighthouse, Gato, Calanggaman Is. What would be the must-sees?
I think I'm leaning towards Sogod for WS but I'm still open depending if I'm going to another place like Dauin or Bohol.
If I had time/money for a 3rd, what would be best for my needs/what I may see there...Dauin,

Padres Bugos, Bohol?

@Ocdiver...What dive sites did you do/would recommend at Malapascua?

hey outpost, i'll be done diving tomorrow and i'll give you a list of what turned out to be the best spots this trip...although you've got a good list. the airport you'd be using is cebu...if you fly into manila, you'll just take a short @ 1 hour domestic flight down. im with some of the other posters with limiting yourself to two spots...would be cutting out a lot of diving I think traveling to 3 with in just 7-10 days. if you flew into cebu, you could go up to malapascua immediately, get back down to Cebu City, ferry to Dumaguete..dive Dumaguete/Dauin with the ability to do a whale shark trip over to Oslob while you're there is what i'd suggest​