Camiguin · Philippines · Sand slope · Reef
Iring Point
Shore-entry slope with a lettuce coral reef from 21 m
Area photo: Kleomarlo · CC BY-SA 3.0
A sandy slope running straight off the beach to more than 30 m, and one of the few Camiguin sites that can be entered from shore instead of a boat. The shallow half is macro ground — reef fish, shrimp and nudibranchs among big coral blocks — and at 21 m a lettuce coral reef begins that covers thousands of square metres.
Where it is and how deep
9.2106° N, 124.7722° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The slope starts at the beach, so this is one of the few dives on the island that does not need a boat, though you can be dropped on it as well. The ground runs down over sand to more than 30 m, broken by big coral blocks that give the shallow half of the dive its structure. Reef fish hold around the blocks, and the sand and rubble between them is where the shrimp and nudibranchs are.
At 21 m the character changes. A lettuce coral reef begins and runs for thousands of square metres, a continuous field of it rather than isolated heads, and swimming out over that is the reason to go deep here at all. The slope carries on below it past 30 m, so the turn is a decision you make rather than one the bottom makes for you.
Coming back is the same ground in reverse, and it is the better half for a camera: the coral blocks and the macro on the sand between them sit in shallow, bright water. A shore exit means you can stay in it until the tank is genuinely finished rather than watching a boat's schedule, which is the practical argument for diving this one from the beach.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Camiguin: Nov–Apr is the dry, settled run; May–Oct rain is heavy but short and rarely stops diving, and the small typhoon risk falls in Sep–Oct.
Sources
- Iring Point - Scubago — Scubago
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The island's Deep Diver training reef, 5 m to 40 m
Similar dives elsewhere
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