Moalboal · Philippines · Reef · Wall
Dolphin House
Coral slope that steepens into a wall at about 20 m
Area photo: Ken Suarez · CC0
A sloping reef north of Panagsama that steepens into a wall at around 20 m. Soft and hard corals, sea fans and overhangs cover the incline, and the break at 20 m is the natural floor of the dive: stay on the slope above it, or run the contour where the ground changes, depending on who is in the water.
Where it is and how deep
9.9810° N, 123.3689° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site begins as a slope rather than a drop, which is what makes it workable for divers still building their first dozen logbook entries. Soft and hard corals cover the incline, sea fans stand out from it, and overhangs cut into the ground at intervals, so there is structure to follow the whole way down instead of an empty run of sand or rubble.
At around 20 m the slope steepens into a wall. That break is the natural turning point of the dive: hold the line where the ground changes and swim it, or stay above it on the coral and let the wall be scenery. The terrain is varied enough along that contour that you can spend a full dive on one leg out and one leg back without repeating much of it, and there is no reason to go over the edge to fill the tank.
Work back up the slope to finish. Because the ground rises steadily from the break rather than dropping away, the ascent is gradual and the safety stop happens over coral rather than in open water, which is the practical reason this site gets used with mixed-level groups.
Marine life and season
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Moalboal: Diveable year-round; the sardine school is present nearly every day regardless of season.
Sources
- Dolphin House Moalboal — Scubago
More dive sites in Moalboal
Wreck
A two-seat aircraft sunk on sand at 20 m, with a wall beyond
Wall
Coral shelf, a wall to 40 m, and a 140 m cave at its foot
A coral wall running from a 5 m shallow top down to 55 m
Muck & macro
Shallow sand and boulders in 5 to 10 m, minimal current
A million-plus sardines holding a short swim off the dive shops
An open-top cave in the northwest wall of a limestone island
Protected wall from 18 m to 55 m, hung with gorgonian fans
Wall
Sanctuary wall with small caves and steady turtle sightings
Similar dives elsewhere
Reef, mini wall and coral garden from 12 m down to 30 m
A steep face with frogfish on it and tuna off it
A wreck memorial at 12 m that works as a fish magnet
.jpg){kind=link}
The protected shallows where Balicasag's turtles are thickest