Explore Pamilacan
Pamilacan Island is located in the Bohol Sea in the Central Visayas region of the Philippines. It is 12.5 kilometers/7.8 miles south of Bohol and is home to roughly 1,500 people. The people here have always made their living off the sea — it used to be hunting sharks and whales, but more recently it is by taking whale and dolphin tours, and scuba diving.
Scuba diving in Pamilacan is not as busy as the larger Panglao Island to the north, but it offers a few stunning dive sites of its own — including the submerged pinnacle called Snake Island because of its resident colony of sea snakes. It is also full of cetaceans — there are many dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks, and even whales to see here because of the deep surrounding waters. The marine sanctuary on the northwestern side of the island means that the coral formations and populations of anemones and sponges are very impressive, making for some stunning backdrops to your dives.
Dive Activity
Diving in Pamilacan
The main type of diving on Pamilacan is reef diving over the stunning corals. The island itself is made of fossils and corals meaning that the underwater coral formations are unique to the region. There is drift diving here which can be strong and which may be inappropriate for divers inexperienced with these conditions.
As the island is very small, there are not many dive centers and dive resorts - though they are there for those wishing to stay on the island itself. Most dive resorts on nearby Panglao will also dive Pamilacan’s dive sites. Pamilacan reef makes excellent beginner diving for those wishing to complete a dive course here. There are no dedicated liveaboards operating here due to the close proximity of all dive sites to the island but there are some which pass by.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Pamilacan
The coral life below the surface in Pamilacan is lovely - huge gorgonian sea fans nestle along with sponges, anemones and tunicates and host all manner of healthy reef life such as moray eels, reef fish and macro creatures. One of the unique features of Pamilacan is the commonness of cetaceans. There are more than 11 species of dolphins and whales including sperm whale. Manta rays and whale sharks are found here regularly too making this island a must-see for those who are a fan of pelagic animals.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
91 Sightings
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Shutterstock-Andrey Armyagov
Hawksbill Turtle
23 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
17 Sightings
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iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle
11 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 28
Udo Kefrig
Clownfish
63 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 40
iStock-Hoatzinexp
Jackfish
38 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
36 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish
34 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 12
iStock/cinoby
Lionfish
31 Sightings
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The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 8
Alamy-Reinhard Dirscherl
Bannerfish
22 Sightings
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The best Months to dive in Pamilacan
There is significant rainfall all year round in this region of the Philippines, but the driest season is between February and May - Pamilacan diving is at its best during this season. The only downside to diving at this time is that prices are at their highest. Manta rays and whale sharks are most commonly seen from March to June but they can be seen, along with resident dolphins and small whales, all year round, if you’re lucky.
