Southern Leyte · Philippines · Pelagic & blue water · Wall
Pintuyan
Whale shark season and a current-fed point to 40 m
Area photo: JDQDulfo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pintuyan is the municipality at the southern end of Panaon Island, on the eastern side of Sogod Bay, and it is visited for two things. One is whale sharks, watched between October and April; the other is Sonok Point, an exposed point dive of 8 to 40 metres where current and clean water raise the odds of something larger. The town's coastal waters lie inside the Panaon Island Protected Seascape, declared in 2025.
Where it is and how deep
9.9650° N, 125.2194° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Sonok Point lies off Son-ok, a barangay on the Pintuyan shore near the southern end of Panaon Island, 45 to 60 minutes by boat from the resorts across the bay. It is an exposed point: current sweeps it and the water comes in clean, which is the whole reason it is dived, since the odds of meeting something larger out in the blue are better here than on the sheltered reefs inside the bay. The profile runs from 8 metres to 40, and the operator diving it puts it firmly in the experienced column.
The other reason to come down here is the whale sharks. Sightings have been reported in Sogod Bay, and whale watching — tikitiki locally — is one of the two things Panaon Island is visited for, alongside the diving; the season runs October to April and brings a growing number of non-divers to Southern Leyte. Nothing is guaranteed on a given morning. Pintuyan's coastal waters are part of the Panaon Island Protected Seascape, designated in 2025 under Republic Act No. 12238, so settle the rules on entering the water and on approach distance when you book.
Marine life and season
- Whale sharks
| 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 Southern Leyte: Whale sharks are off Pintuyan roughly Oct–Apr; the bay is sheltered but Jul–Oct brings typhoon risk and rougher water.
Know before you go
- Sonok Point is exposed and current-fed: agree a drift direction and a pick-up plan with the boat before you drop, and stay together on the point.
- Whale shark watching happens at the surface with boats working nearby — stay where the crew can see you and keep to the approach distance you are briefed on.
Dive videos
Whale Shark in Philippines ! Pintuyan, Leyte · YannickOnBoard on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When can you see whale sharks at Pintuyan?+
Whale sharks are watched in Southern Leyte between October and April, and sightings have been reported in Sogod Bay, on which Pintuyan sits. The number of non-divers coming down for the season keeps growing, but no sighting on a given morning is guaranteed.
Is there a dive site off Pintuyan?+
Yes. Sonok Point, off the barangay of Son-ok near the southern end of Panaon Island, runs from 8 metres to 40 and is rated an advanced dive: an exposed, current-fed point where clean water raises the chance of larger pelagics.
Sources
- Dive Sites — Sogod Bay Scuba Resort — Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
- Pintuyan, Southern Leyte — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Southern Leyte — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Panaon Island — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- OpenStreetMap — Son-ok, Pintuyan — OpenStreetMap
In The Logbook
- Where to dive with whale sharks, month by monthBig animals · 16 min read
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