Moalboal · Philippines · Wall · Drift · Reef
Tongo Point
Sanctuary wall with small caves and steady turtle sightings
Area photo: Ken Suarez · CC0
A protected marine sanctuary south of Panagsama, dived as a wall with a coral-covered reef top above it and a dramatic drop-off below. Depths run from 5 m to 55 m with 15 to 25 m of visibility, currents are minimal, and the face is broken by small caves. Turtles, frogfish and ghostpipefish are the regular finds.
Also known as Tongo Marine Sanctuary, Tongo Sanctuary.
Where it is and how deep
9.9396° N, 123.3699° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
You drop onto the reef top, a shelf covered in hard and soft corals that begins at around 5 m, and follow it out to the lip. The drop-off is abrupt, and the wall below it runs to 55 m, so this is a dive where you pick a band and stay in it. Currents here are minimal, which means the site can be swum in either direction rather than run strictly as a drift, though it is listed as a drift dive as well.
Along the face, small caves and cracks break the coral, and that is where the slower looking pays off. Ghostpipefish, frogfish and scorpionfish sit in the structure, while triggerfish, batfish and sweetlips work the open face. Hawksbill and green turtles are both seen here, and on a good day eagle rays or a whale shark pass in the blue beyond the wall.
Because the reef top is shallow and covered the whole way, the end of the dive is easy: come up the wall, level off on the shelf and spend the remaining gas on the coral there. Tongo is one of Moalboal's protected sanctuary areas and the coral condition reflects that, so keep well off the face and watch your fins in the narrow parts.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Frogfish
- Macro critters
| 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.
Questions divers ask
Is Tongo Point a marine sanctuary?+
Yes. Tongo is one of Moalboal's protected marine areas, and the coral cover on the reef top and wall is part of what the protection is for. Dive it as you would any sanctuary: no contact, no collecting, and stay well off the face.
What can you see at Tongo Point?+
Hawksbill and green turtles, ghostpipefish, frogfish and scorpionfish in the small caves and cracks, and batfish, triggerfish and sweetlips over the face. Eagle rays or a whale shark are occasional passers-by in the blue.
Sources
- Tongo Sanctuary — Scubago
- Tongo Point Marine Sanctuary dive site — PADI
- Moalboal — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Moalboal
Wreck
A two-seat aircraft sunk on sand at 20 m, with a wall beyond
Reef
Coral slope that steepens into a wall at about 20 m
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
Similar dives elsewhere
The Great Wall of Cornucopia, a sheer drop-off at the end of the slope
The corner where Cabilao's sharks are seen, wall to plateau to wall
Whip corals along a drifted wall, with bumpheads passing
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The outcrop on the drop where the jacks and barracuda gather