Romblon · Philippines · Sand slope
Giant Clam Sanctuary
Giant clams scattered across the sand of a protected bay
Area photo: krokodiver · CC BY 2.0
A sandy bottom in a protected bay next to Tiamban Beach, scattered with giant clams. Nothing here needs special skills: the site is listed to 25 metres, it sits in sheltered water, and it is a 10 to 15 minute boat run from Romblon Town or Lonos. The clams are the reason to come rather than any reef structure.
Where it is and how deep
12.5654° N, 122.2493° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The bay is protected and the run out is short, 10 to 15 minutes from Romblon Town or Lonos. Under the boat the ground is sand rather than reef, and the dive is a search across it: Wikivoyage describes a sandy bottom with lots of giant clams, so the pattern is a slow sweep over open ground rather than a route around structure, with 25 metres as the listed limit.
Sand silts easily and a sheltered bay has little water movement to clear it, so trim and fin technique decide what the divers behind you get to see. Stay off the bottom, work past the clams from one side instead of hovering on top of them, and finish the dive shallow at the top of the sand where the light is better and the no-stop clock is not a factor.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Giant Clam Sanctuary?+
Wikivoyage lists it at 25 metres. It sits on a sandy bottom in a protected bay next to Tiamban Beach, and no special skills are listed for the dive.
Sources
- Diving in the Philippines — Wikivoyage
More dive sites in Romblon
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Reef
Reef from two metres down to sand at twenty
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Coral garden
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Coral garden
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Coral garden
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Wall
A wall to 40 m that turns a corner into a coral field
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