Diving at Moalboal, Philippines.
For anyone visiting Cebu Island, Moalboal is one of the stops that should not be missed. It is known for its good dive spots and it is also the cheapest place to go diving in the Philippines. Moalboal also offers excellent snorkeling and free diving areas just a few meters from the shore.
How to get to Moalboal
Moalboal is 80 kilometers west of Cebu City. In the city, go to the South Cebu Bus Terminal and just ask the drivers for the bus going to Moalboal. It usually takes 3 hours to get there. It is the cheapest way to get threre – 75 pesos for a non-airconditioned bus, and 115 pesos for an air-conditioned one.
Where to stay in Moalboal
We only stayed in Hotel Sister’s Inn (we booked through Booking.com), just a few meters from the Panagsama beach and the snorkeling and diving spots. We paid 750 pesos for a fan room with kitchen that is good for 2 people. However, there are plenty of budget to high-end accommodations, fronting the coast and snorkeling spots.
Moalboal Dive shops
Dive shops are everywhere in Moalboal, located conveniently in front of the beach and dive spots. I did my dive with Quo Vadis Dive Resort. They have new equipment and good dive instructors. I did 5 dives with them, 1350 pesos for each dive.
Dive Spots in Moalboal
Moalboal offers a great variety of dive spots. Night dives are also popular there as well. Here are some of the dive spots that I went to during my time there.
House reef and Sardine Run
The shallow reef just a few meters from the shoreline is filled with colorful corals and various species of fishes, and a couple of turtles here and there. The house reef is also good for snorkeling. Then there will be a sudden drop where you’ll see jacks, mackerel, and other bigger fishes.
The sardine run is unique. Millions of sardines form a giant ball underwater, visible even when snorkeling. They group together to form different shapes. Mackerels and jacks can be seen going through this big school of sardines, hunting the sardines.
Pescador Island
Pescador Island, which is just a 15-minute boat ride from Moalboal offers several dive sites around it. Each dive there will give you different things to see each time. You’ll see a wide variety of hard and soft corals, and a very diverse species of fishes. One of the dive sites features a cave, while in another you will dive on to a plateau.
Tuble Dive Spot
I don’t think I’ve never seen so many turtles in my previous dives than in Tuble. Several turtles are found resting, swimming away, or feeding. In addition, the dive spot also has a very healthy aquatic life.
When you’re not diving
Rent a motorbike for 400 pesos/day and drive yourself to the beaches in Moalboal. Or better yet, drive 15 kilometers south to Badian town to do the Canyoneering in Kawasan, which I highly recommend to anyone doing a South Cebu trip.
Overall Experience
I’d definitely recommend anyone who wants to dive to go to Moalboal. It is cheap and you will find many interesting dive spots. A few minutes of driving will take you to its white sand beaches. Further south, you can take a quick day trip to Kawasan Falls.
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Text by Jen Yap, photos by Martien Janssen
Hi, I’m Martien Janssen, a dutch nomad photographer & filmmaker (slow-)traveling around the globe creating travel photos and videos from the land and sky. Here at Travel Imagez I share my work and write travel & photography guides about the places I visit. Eye-candy and something to learn. Enjoy!
Awesome pictures, those turtles look so cute! I always wanted to dive in the Philippines, I heard its amazing and I definitely have to visit Moalboal when I travel to the Philippines one day 🙂
Thanks Becky, I’ve never seen so many turtles in 1 dive as in Moalboal. The sardines were incredible as well to see there. One of my best experiences ever was the wreck diving at Coron, if you ever go to Philippines, don’t miss it! Check out my Coron posts for more info and a movie. It pays off to get your advanced course, so you can do the deeper dives where it’s quiet and you get to go through the wrecks, so cool!
That looks like an amazing adventure. I will have no time for it in the near future but I will keep it in mind. Great photos/videos as well!
It is! Thanks 🙂
Pretty amazing! Partly scary for us non-divers 😀 but amazing. And the turtles!!! Aaaaaaaw, so cute 🙂
Thanks. Wreck diving at Coron, now that video would freak you out!
It did, haha 😀
Wow, looks absolutely stunning! I’ve never been diving before (I have always been a little bit scared of such deep open water), but what a fantastic experience it must be!
Don’t be scared, it’s so worth it, really. It’s like visiting an alien planet. To see the underwater life is amazing. I well recommend getting your license, but do it somewhere rather quiet (Like Gili Air, Indonesia, where I did it), not somewhere busy like many places in Thailand. You don’t get the attention you should and it’s just not very safe in those big groups. Set aside a dollar a day and within 2 years you’ve got money to do it!
The video is amazing! Love those turtles swimming around peacefully in the blue waters. Is Moalboal touristy? Or, is the lesser-known dive spots in the Philippines?
It’s a very popular place for sure, because it’s one of the few places on earth to see these sardines year round. But I didn’t find it busy or touristy at all, although the beach side is completely set up for tourists (dive shops, restaurants and resorts/hotels). But in a nice quiet way. You wouldn’t stay here for long anyway, as diving is the only thing to do
I’m going to be honest I am pretty scared on diving, as I suffer a little from claustrophobia. But I have done a little bit of snorkelling, but this experience really looks like something out of this world – it must feel amazing 🙂 Thanks for sharing
I can understand that, diving sure isn’t for everyone, you really need to stay relaxed and don’t freak out. But it sure is great. Lucky for you it’s easy to enjoy our experience from your couch 🙂
You should check out this wreck diving video, one of the best things I’ve ever done: https://www.travelimagez.com/asia/philippines/travel-guide-coron-palawan
Yes!! We did the sardine run dive at Moalboal in February and it was amazing! We also so SO many turtles around there, more than anywhere else we went diving. Awesome place to explore the ocean!
Cool! You know what I’m talking about 🙂
I am a little scared of scuba-diving so I live vicariously through pictures of people who do it!
Looks absolutely beautiful, such a cool way to see nature! I was lucky enough to snorkel with turtles in barbados and loved it, but there weren’t as many as this!
Hi Kate, it sure was, lucky me! But Barbados sounds great too 😉
I love the turtles! I went diving off Koh Tao 8 years ago and haven’t dived since. I enjoyed the experience a lot, though. Was there are lot of trash there or was this pristine? I’ve heard they closed a popular island in the Philippines due to sewage problems.
Barely any trash, but I’ve heard that said about Malapascua a lot. Such a shame. Yes, Boracay is closed for cleaning and fixing the sewage.
video is really good to swim in the wonderful blue water..
Yes it is 🙂