Moalboal · Philippines · Wall · Cave & cavern · Reef
Tuble Point
Sanctuary wall from 3 m to 40 m with sea fan forests
Area photo: Ken Suarez · CC0
One of Moalboal's protected sanctuary areas, in barangay Tuble. The site is a wall of vertical cliffs and small caves dropping from 3 m to 40 m, with sea fan forests on the face and visibility between 10 and 22 m. The macro list is long, and tuna and jacks come through off the wall.
Also known as Tuble Marine Sanctuary, Tuble Sanctuary.
Where it is and how deep
9.9712° N, 123.3699° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef here starts at 3 m, so there is shallow ground to sort yourself out on before the wall arrives. Below that the site is vertical cliff broken by small caves, running down to 40 m. Visibility of 10 to 22 m is narrower than the walls further south, which suits the way this dive is normally done: close to the face, working the structure rather than hanging off it in open water.
Sea fan forests are the signature of the wall, and everything else is found around them. Nudibranchs and scorpionfish are on the coral, sea snakes move along the face, and stonefish, stargazers, angelfish, pufferfish and squid fill in the rest. The deeper part of the wall is where pygmy seahorses sit, which is the one section that has to be planned rather than wandered into on gas you no longer have.
Come back up the cliff into the shallows and finish along the top of the reef. Tuble is a protected sanctuary, so the small caves and overhangs are best looked into rather than entered, and fins stay clear of the fans. Tuna and jacks are the large fish to watch for, usually out from the wall rather than on it, so check the blue every so often.
Marine life and season
- Nudibranchs
- Pygmy seahorses
- Sea snakes
- Squid
- Tuna
- Trevally & jacks
- 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
How deep is Tuble Point?+
The reef starts at 3 m and the wall drops to 40 m. Most of the dive is spent on the upper part of the face; the pygmy seahorses are on the deeper section, which needs a planned profile.
Is Tuble a protected area?+
Yes, Tuble Marine Sanctuary is one of Moalboal's protected areas, in barangay Tuble. Standard sanctuary rules apply: no contact with the reef, no collecting, and careful fin control around the sea fans.
Sources
- Tuble Sanctuary — Scubago
- Tuble 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
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Tunnels, canyons and walls down to a plateau facing open water
Caves in a coral wall where whitetips rest up
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Coral outcrops one side of the village, a wall past 40 m on the other.