Camiguin · Philippines · Reef · Sand slope
Tongatok
The island's Deep Diver training reef, 5 m to 40 m
Area photo: Kleomarlo · CC BY-SA 3.0
The reef the Camiguin operators use for Deep Diver training. It starts at 5 m and drops quickly to 40 m and beyond, which puts a full range of training depths inside one dive, and the sandy slope between them is covered in healthy coral. Sand eels hold the deeper sand, and triggerfish and lionfish are on the reef on every dive.
Where it is and how deep
9.2314° N, 124.6399° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef top is at 5 m and the slope falls away quickly from there, reaching 40 m and more in a short horizontal distance. That steepness is exactly why the site is used for Deep Diver training: a class can run its shallow work on the top of the reef and be at working depth minutes later without a long swim between the two ends of the dive.
The slope itself is sand under healthy coral rather than bare ground, and it holds life at both ends of the profile. Sand eels stand out of the bottom even on the deeper part, where you might expect to find nothing at all, while triggerfish and lionfish are on the reef on every dive. The lionfish deserve a wide berth when you are close to the slope and task-loaded on an exercise.
Coming back up the slope is the dive's natural structure — depth first, then a long, gradual ascent over the coral to the 5 m top, where a class can hang a safety stop with the reef still in sight. Divers who are not in training use the same shape and simply pick a shallower turn depth on the way down.
Marine life and season
- 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.
Know before you go
- The slope reaches 40 m and beyond in a short distance, so depth creeps up on you; fix a turn depth and watch your gas, especially when task-loaded on a training exercise.
Sources
- Tongatok - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Camiguin
Sand slope
Shore-entry slope with a lettuce coral reef from 21 m
Current-swept offshore slope under soft coral, 5 to 25 m
Wall
Offshore shoal edge dropping past 60 m, cut with overhangs
Coral garden
Hard coral garden with a 20 m maximum and frequent sea snakes
Green turtles resident year-round on a 5-to-50 m drop-off
Wall
Volcanic cliff from 5 m and dropping past 60 m
Reef
Soft-coral slope from 2 m to 30 m beside the volcano wall
Reef
Coral-covered tombs at 6 m under a white concrete cross
Similar dives elsewhere
Feather stars and sponges on a slope to 40 m
West-coast slope where mola mola come up in season
Small beach-entry reef with the best coral to the left of the entry
White sand to 15 m, no current, twenty minutes from town