Tulapos is a sanctuary that was built rather than found: a number of concrete crosses were installed on the seabed, giving the site a graveyard look and a structure for an artificial reef to grow on. The coral garden begins at 2 metres and slopes gently to 22. A large school of barracuda and turtles grazing the corals are the regulars.
Where it is and how deep
9.2866° N, 123.6408° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The profile could hardly be gentler: coral begins at 2 metres and slopes away to 22, so you work down and back up at your own pace without ever facing a wall or a sudden drop. That shallow start keeps the top of the dive bright, and the site is described as a nice relaxing dive rather than a route with fixed turning points.
The character of the place is the concrete under the coral. The sanctuary was installed with a number of concrete crosses, signifying the Catholic faith of the nation, and the effect is a graveyard on the seabed that an artificial reef has grown over. A large school of barracuda tends to meet divers on arrival, and turtles graze the corals along the slope. Visibility logged here has run from 6 to 25 metres, so the mood of the site changes a lot between visits.
Background
Tulapos is a marine sanctuary, but a man-made one. The area was installed with a number of concrete crosses signifying the Catholic faith of the nation, creating a graveyard effect and, more practically, hard structure for an artificial reef to colonise. What divers see now is the result of that seeding: a coral garden running from 2 metres down to 22, with the crosses still legible under the growth.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Sea turtles
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Siquijor: November to May is the main season; from June to October the south-west monsoon moves the diving from the western walls to the sheltered north-east coast.
Questions divers ask
What are the crosses at Tulapos?+
Concrete crosses installed across the sanctuary, signifying the Catholic faith of the nation. They create a graveyard effect on the seabed and act as hard structure for an artificial reef to grow on.
Is Tulapos suitable for beginners?+
The coral garden begins at 2 metres and slopes gently to 22, and it is described as a relaxing dive, so the shallow half of the site is well within entry-level limits.
Sources
- Tulapos Marine Sanctuary - Scubago — Scubago (SSI)
More dive sites in Siquijor
Wall
A sloping wall from 5 m, entered on foot south of San Juan
Seagrass, dense reef and wall on one protected slope
Pinnacle
An offshore pinnacle topping out at 5 m
Staghorn fields at depth, and frogfish after dark
Coral garden
Two different dives from one walk-in entry
A wall from 5 m, with the depth below it optional
Wall
Sea fans on a vertical face, dived as a guided drift
One of the island's easiest entries, and a night-dive regular
Similar dives elsewhere
Motorbike frames and concrete set on a sandy slope at 15 metres
A decade-old tyre reef, grown in and dived after dark too
Three or four frogfish colour morphs on a single dive
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