Camiguin, the area around Mantigue Turtle Point

Camiguin · Philippines · Reef · Wall

Mantigue Turtle Point

Green turtles resident year-round on a 5-to-50 m drop-off

Area photo: Kleomarlo · CC BY-SA 3.0

The dive on the reef off Mantigue Island, a protected islet east of Camiguin. The reef starts at about 5 m and drops to 50 m, with hard and soft coral formations and overhangs along the way, and green turtles resident on it all year. Schools of jackfish and sweetlips work the drop-off, and moray eels hold the holes in the coral.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Mantigue Turtle Point: typical dive 5–50 m (15–164 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m50 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

9.1698° N, 124.8219° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

The reef top sits at about 5 m and the ground falls away from there to 50 m, so the first decision is which band to dive. Most of the structure worth seeing — the hard and soft coral formations and the overhangs cut into them — is on the upper part of the slope, and the turtles are up there too, which is why the site rarely turns into a deep dive despite the depth available below you.

Green turtles live here year-round rather than passing through, and finding them is a matter of covering ground slowly along the coral rather than hoping for luck. Between turtle sightings the drop-off carries schools of jackfish and sweetlips out in the water column, and moray eels sit back in the holes in the coral. The overhangs are worth putting a light into on the way past.

Mantigue is a protected area, so keep off the coral and take nothing with you. Finish back on the shallow reef top where you started, at around 5 m: it gives a coral floor for the safety stop and one last pass over the ground the turtles use, and it keeps the ascent well clear of the 50 m ground further down the slope.

Marine life and season

  • Sea turtles
  • Trevally & jacks
  • Reef fish swarms
Month-by-month season rating for Mantigue Turtle Point
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFairPrimePrime

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.

Questions divers ask

Are turtles a sure thing at Mantigue Turtle Point?+

Green turtles are resident here year-round rather than seasonal visitors, so sightings are the norm rather than the exception, though nothing wild is guaranteed. They are usually found over the shallower coral above the drop-off.

Sources

  1. Mantigue Turtle Point - Scubago — Scubago
  2. Mantigue Sanctuary - Scubago — Scubago

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