Romblon · Philippines · Reef · Coral garden
Bonbon Fan Coral Collection
Fields of big gorgonians at the 35-metre end of the slope
Area photo: krokodiver · CC BY 2.0
One of the deeper dives on Romblon: a slope that runs down to a maximum of 35 metres and opens into a formation of large gorgonian fan corals, with abundant marine and coral life through the area. Both Scubago and Wikivoyage put the maximum at 35 metres, and Wikivoyage recommends the site for intermediate and advanced divers only.
Also known as Phil's Fan Coral Collection.
Where it is and how deep
12.5737° N, 122.2429° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The run out is 15 to 20 minutes from Romblon Town or Lonos, which makes this a short hop rather than a scheduled trip. From the mooring the ground slopes away steadily, and the dive is a descent along that slope rather than a swim across flat reef: you work down through the coral and marine life that fills the area, watching your depth as the bottom keeps falling away beneath you.
The formation of large gorgonians sits at the deep end, at the 35-metre maximum that both Scubago and Wikivoyage give for the site. That is where the dive turns around: bottom time at that depth is short, so most of the dive goes on working back up the slope through shallower coral rather than lingering among the fans. Plan gas and no-stop time for a deep first half and a long, shallow return.
Marine life and season
- Pristine corals
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Romblon: Nov–Jun is the settled season; typhoons and the south-west monsoon make Jul–Oct unreliable for the boat crossing.
Know before you go
- The gorgonian formation sits at the site's 35-metre maximum, deep enough that gas and no-stop time end the dive rather than the reef; turn on a planned time instead of on the fans.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Bonbon Fan Coral Collection?+
The slope runs down to a maximum depth of 35 metres, and the large gorgonian fan corals sit at that deep end. Both Scubago and Wikivoyage list the site at 35 metres.
What level do you need for Bonbon Fan Coral Collection?+
Wikivoyage recommends the site for intermediate and advanced divers only. It is one of the deeper dives on Romblon and the main feature is at 35 metres, so a qualification appropriate to that depth matters.
Sources
- Bonbon Fan Coral Collection — Scubago
- Diving in the Philippines — Wikivoyage
More dive sites in Romblon
Blue hole
A chimney from 5 m to an opening on the reef near 30 m
Channel & pass
Often-strong current turns the channel into a drift
Reef
Three to fifteen metres over the corals off Logbon Island
Coral garden
A shallow coral canyon on the tip of a rocky islet
Reef
Reef from two metres down to sand at twenty
Sand slope
Giant clams scattered across the sand of a protected bay
Reef
Walk-in house reef that doubles as the training and night dive
Romblon's turtle reef, with whale sharks on the record
Similar dives elsewhere
Hard coral grown over lava that reached the sea in 1988.
Fish fill the water before your BCD is finished deflating
Dense stands of red whip gorgonians tangled with crinoids
A no-take reef since 1982, with turtles on nearly every dive