Doljo Point is the wall on Panglao's north-western tip, published at 5 to 40 m, where a shallow reef flat runs out from the beach and then drops suddenly into a vertical face. It is hung with huge gorgonian fans, elephant-ear sponges and barrel sponges, and it is among the quietest of the island's sites — far enough from Alona that the boat traffic thins out and the coral shows it.
Also known as Doljo, Duljo Point.
Where it is and how deep
9.5893° N, 123.7136° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive starts over a shallow reef flat that runs out from the shore, and for the first few minutes there is nothing to suggest what is coming: hard coral, seagrass, reef fish, nothing steep. Then the reef leads out and drops suddenly into a vertical wall, and the site becomes a straightforward face dive — drop to the agreed depth, put the wall on one shoulder and work along it, then climb back onto the flat for a long safety stop over the coral.
The wall is what the site is for. Huge gorgonian sea fans stand off it, elephant-ear and barrel sponges fill the gaps, and the whole face is deep enough that the deeper fans need a torch to show their colour. Pygmy seahorses sit on the fans — this is the Panglao site most often named for them — and giant frogfish wedge themselves into the sponges, so a guide who knows the individuals is worth having.
Doljo is on the far side of the island from Alona, roughly 40 minutes by boat, and it takes a fraction of the traffic the south-coast sites do. It also happens to be sheltered when the south coast is blown out, which is why operators keep it in reserve through the rougher months. Set a hard maximum before you go in: the face runs to 40 m and there is nothing on it to stop you drifting deeper.
Marine life and season
- Pygmy seahorses
- Frogfish
- Nudibranchs
- Macro critters
- Pristine corals
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Panglao: Nov–Jun is the main season; the south-west monsoon and typhoons disrupt Jul–Oct, though the sheltered south coast keeps working through much of it.
Know before you go
- The wall is published to 40 m with no natural stopping point, so agree a maximum on the boat and watch your depth on the deep fans rather than following them down.
Dive videos
Paul-Ranky-Panglao-Bohol-01-DoljoPoint-PuntodWall-Dives-4Kvideo-Master-Edit-HD · Paul Ranky on YouTube
Panglao Scuba Diving: UNCUT 50-Min Drift Dive at Doljo Sanctuary (Turtles & Frogfish!) · Talk to the Fish on YouTube
Diving Philippines - Bohol (Dive 5) | Doljo Point, Panglao Island, another Drift Wall Dive · Dive Explorer on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Doljo Point?+
Operators publish it at 5 to 40 m: a shallow reef flat that drops into a vertical wall. The gorgonians the site is dived for sit on the deeper part of the face, which is why it is rated for Advanced divers.
How do you get to Doljo Point?+
It is on Panglao's north-western tip, about 40 minutes by boat from Alona Beach, or reached by road across the island. Because of the distance it is usually run as a longer trip rather than part of the standard morning two-tank.
Sources
- Dive Sites & Map Of Bohol — Sierra Madre Divers
- Dive sites of Panglao, Alona beach, Balicasag, Pamilacan, Cabilao — Tropical Divers Alona
- Scuba Diving Bohol: Panglao, Balicasag, Pamilacan & Beyond — Diving Squad
- Your Guide to Diving in Bohol — Dive The World
- Doljo Point — Scubago
In The Logbook
- Frogfish: species, behaviour and where to diveMacro & muck · 12 min read
More dive sites in Panglao
Wall
A chimney through the wall, 18 m in and 8 m out
Reef
Ghost pipefish and pygmy seahorses on a calm coral slope
A turtle point about 10 m under a shallow reef cliff
Wall
A drifted wall from 5 m to 25 m, minutes from Alona
Wall
Table corals over a wall running 25 to 40 metres
Wreck
A dive boat on the sand at 37 m, a kilometre off Alona Beach
Reef
Panglao's critter slope, five minutes off Alona Beach
Reef
An easy north-coast reef on the Napaling and Doljo road trip
Similar dives elsewhere
Sea fans and frogfish on a wall, a 150-year-old wreck below
An open-top cave in the northwest wall of a limestone island
Coral outcrops one side of the village, a wall past 40 m on the other.
Giant gorgonian fans on a wall from 5 m to 60