Southern Leyte · Philippines · Reef · Wall
Tangkaan Point
The peninsula corner where the reef drops to 36 m
Area photo: JDQDulfo · CC BY-SA 4.0
Tangkaan Point is the corner of the Tangkaan peninsula in Padre Burgos, where the shore turns to face the Bohol Sea. The dive on that corner, Turtle Rock, drops to 36 metres past huge gorgonian fans and hard coral in good condition, with green and hawksbill turtles on it. Peter's Dive Resort stands on the white-sand beach behind the point, in sight of Limasawa Island.
Also known as Tangkaan.
Where it is and how deep
10.0070° N, 125.0310° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive works the corner of the Tangkaan peninsula, where the shore turns away from the bay to face the Bohol Sea. The site on that corner, Turtle Rock, runs from 8 metres down to 36, past huge gorgonian fans and hard coral in good condition, and green and hawksbill turtles are the animals it is named for. It is rated an advanced dive, which is the depth talking as much as the water.
North of the point the peninsula shore is sanctuary ground: Tangkaan MPA North runs 5 to 30 metres over soft-coral gardens and huge barrel sponges, with batfish, rays and frogfish on it, and Bernard's Anchor beside it slopes gently from 6 to 28 metres over sand and coral heads. Coral Cay, a foreign non-profit, keeps offices in Barangay Tangkaan and works with the village on maintaining those fish sanctuaries, so which stretches are closed is village business — ask at the resort before walking in off the beach.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
| 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
- The corner faces open water on the Bohol Sea side and moves more than the beach behind it suggests; plan the turn before you are deep on the 36-metre end.
Dive videos
압도적인 산호정원 '바닷 속 열대우림' (Rainforest of the Seas) - 메디케어 사우스, 서던 레이테 (Medicare South, Southern Leyte) · Diver SHine on YouTube
Tangkaan (Bernard's Anchor dive site) · Diving with DM Dave on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the dive at Tangkaan Point?+
The site on the corner of the peninsula, Turtle Rock, runs from 8 metres to 36 and is rated an advanced dive. The sanctuary reefs immediately north of it are shallower — 5 to 30 metres at Tangkaan MPA North — and are dived at all levels.
Where is Tangkaan Point?+
It is the point at the end of Tangkaan Beach in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte, near the mouth of Sogod Bay, with Limasawa Island visible across the water. Peter's Dive Resort is on the beach and several other resorts sit on the same shore.
Sources
- Dive Sites — Sogod Bay Scuba Resort — Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
- Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
- Southern Leyte — Wikipedia — Wikipedia
More dive sites in Southern Leyte
Day-trip walls from 20 to 50 m at the mouth of the bay
House-reef wall to 40 m with a whip-coral forest
Reef
Two reef sections linked in one dive on a mild current
Wall
The oldest marine sanctuary in Sogod Bay, walled to 50 m
Pelagic & blue water
Whale shark season and a current-fed point to 40 m
Wall
Reef top at 3-5 m over a wall that bottoms out at 20-25 m
Reef
A shallow coral area at 2-10 m over a slope that drops past 32 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Walls from 7 m to beyond 40 m under a seabird island
A drop-off 80 m off the beach, from under 2 m to past 40 m
A wide shield reef with the wall starting at 5–7 m
Table corals from 3 m down to 40, and nudibranchs on all of it