Cabilao
Cabilao is a small island located about 30 km (18.6 miles) from Tagbilaran, just in front of Bohol’s north coast.
Explore Bohol
Bohol is an island in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It’s white, sandy beaches and world renowned dive destinations make it an up and coming hotspot for divers.
Diving in Bohol encompasses several different destinations. Anda is a quiet town on the sound east tip of Bohol, which is has a few select dive sites to choose from. Panglao is off the south west coast of the island and is a dive destination by itself. With many dive resorts and hotels to choose from on the busy White Beach and Danao Beach, Panglao has something for everyone. Off the coast of Panglao lie the islands of Balicasag and Pamilacan which also have great diving. Cabilao is an island further up the coast which offers the opportunity to see schooling hammerheads. It is reached via the neighbouring island of Sandigan.
The diving here is usually great for beginners, though there are some strong drift dives too. There is outstanding biodiversity here, in terms of both corals and animal life. From tiny colourful nudibranch to big hammerheads, these islands have them all.
Places to explore
Courses and Events
Dive Activity
Diving in Bohol
As the diving in Bohol is spread over a large area, you can find your heart’s desire in the waters here. There are wall dives with caves and caverns to explore as well as more sedate sloping reefs. Most diving is ideal for beginners but some dive sites in the channels between islands have strong drifts.
Some areas in Bohol, like Panglao, have lots of dive resorts and dive centers to choose from. Mostly spread across the tourist resorts of Danao Beach and White Beach, there will be something to suit every budget. Balicasag has no dedicated place to stay and dive so it is best explored by staying in Panglao or Anda. Pamilacan and Cabilao have limited options too, but it is possible to stay on the islands if you wish.
The area is very popular with dive courses. The warm, clear waters with minimal current make this perfect for beginner divers. There are also lots of deep dives on which you can do an advanced course, or even specialist training like wreck diving, cave diving or technical diving.
Some liveaboards operate in this area. Most leave out of nearby Cebu and pass through the Visayas region. As all the dive sites are close to shore, it may be easier to have a base on an island and explore out of it each day.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Bohol
The underwater landscape in the Bohol area is known as one of the most beautiful and diverse in the world. Located in the Coral Triangle, the selection of hard and soft corals plays host to an abundance of fish and reef life. Colourful fish like anemonefish, parrotfish, lionfish, soldierfish, angelfish, damselfish and butterfly fish are common on most every dive. Other common sites include moray eels, reef sharks, octopus, cuttlefish and frogfish. The healthy reefs are great for underwater photographers as the macro life is abundant. It is also possible to see schooling hammerhead sharks in this region, a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
4.9k Sightings
J
619
F
450
M
417
A
359
M
267
J
324
J
351
A
433
S
265
O
363
N
510
D
522
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
2.3k Sightings
J
279
F
270
M
259
A
163
M
172
J
108
J
145
A
122
S
90
O
194
N
230
D
261
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
917 Sightings
J
114
F
80
M
84
A
50
M
106
J
26
J
60
A
59
S
56
O
79
N
101
D
102
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle
903 Sightings
J
101
F
126
M
122
A
68
M
96
J
26
J
43
A
62
S
20
O
52
N
96
D
91
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
4.9k Sightings
J
608
F
442
M
462
A
406
M
340
J
326
J
397
A
369
S
245
O
344
N
500
D
471
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 12
iStock/cinoby
Lionfish
2.2k Sightings
J
297
F
206
M
208
A
154
M
185
J
150
J
180
A
104
S
114
O
176
N
199
D
262
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
2.1k Sightings
J
250
F
213
M
211
A
168
M
185
J
139
J
159
A
143
S
99
O
174
N
243
D
155
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 130
Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish
1.9k Sightings
J
207
F
199
M
187
A
131
M
167
J
117
J
170
A
105
S
89
O
162
N
209
D
147
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
1.6k Sightings
J
220
F
163
M
116
A
139
M
160
J
81
J
90
A
92
S
92
O
110
N
177
D
185
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species: 8
Alamy-Reinhard Dirscherl
Bannerfish
1.5k Sightings
J
190
F
131
M
156
A
96
M
179
J
108
J
94
A
85
S
70
O
122
N
160
D
131
The best Months to dive in Bohol
Diving in Bohol is available all year round. The best time for diving is from November to April when the temperatures are consistently high (around 28°C/82°F), the rainfall is low, and the visibility is good. May, June, and July get very hot and humid but still have generally good conditions. From August to October, the weather becomes more unpredictable — alternating dry, sunny weather with rain storms. Around Cabilao Island, hammerhead sharks are more frequently sighted from December to June.
