Divers Heaven

Balicasag Island, Bohol, Philippines

A signature Balicasag wall named for its turtles, with hawksbill and green sea turtles a near-constant presence. The shallows are sandy with seagrass the turtles graze plus coral patches rich in reef fish and macro; the reef then drops a steep slope past 40 m, dense with soft corals, gorgonians and sponges and broken by ledges and overhangs. Big schools work the reef — goldband fusiliers, midnight snappers, redtooth triggerfish, barracuda, and bluefin and bigeye trevally — while leaf scorpionfish, nudibranchs, eels and anemonefish reward a closer look. Boat entry; Balicasag is a permit-limited MPA (two dives/day).