Diving in Pamilacan Island 2024
Diving in Pamilacan Island is a highly sought after experience among scuba divers who visit Panglao. It offers everything that diving in Balicasag Island offers but in a more private manner. It’s often confusing why not as many divers frequent Pamilacan as they do in Balicasag, but we see it as a huge advantage. We are among the few who have weekly boat trips to Pamilacan Isalnd and we think that a diving vacation in Bohol without diving in Pamilacan cannot be considered complete.
Turtles are often spotted in Pamilacan, although they tend to be a little shy. Whale sharks have been spotted here, and you can expect to see a “storm” of jacks. Macro critters abound with a huge range of crustaceans and nudibranchs. Sea snakes and many types of moray eel are often spotted out and about on the reef hunting for prey.
Booking your dives in Pamilacan Island in advance is strongly advised. We operate diving trips to Pamilacan Island weekly, but due to limited availability and high interest in our trips, spots do tend to run out.
Click on the booking button or contact us directly via the What’s App widget on this page.
Pamilacan Island Dive Sites
There are 3 dive sites in Pamilacan Island, and each offers a slightly different experience. We also visit Sunken Island when the currents permit it, as it can be pretty rough to dive there at times.
- Spanish Tower
- Dakit Dakit
- The Sanctuary
Open water divers are welcome, but we recommend a minimum of advanced open water (or equivalent) with some experience of drift diving to get the best from the trip.
What can we expect to see while diving in Pamilacan Island? Turtles, pipefish, trevally, pufferfish, giant mantis shrimp, peacock mantis shrimp, cuttlefish, stingrays, eagle rays, manta rays, whale sharks and more! Pamilacan Island’s water is filled with corals and frequented by many forms of marine life. As in nature, we have to be lucky to see the rarer of them, but there’s been multiple sightings of them in the past.
Spanish Tower Dive Site
Dakit Dakit
Dive Site
Pamilacan Island Sanctuary
Last thoughts about diving in Pamilacan Isalnd
Diving in Pamilacan Island is truly a treat! We think that it should be a part of anyone’s diving vacation in Bohol as it’s really the best that Bohol has to offer. Dives here are comparable to the ones in Balicasag Island, but due to the time and effort it takes to get to Pamilacan, you can expect a much more private dive. One must be an Open Water Certified diver in order to dive there, but we highly recommend that a diver will acquire at least an advanced open water certification to enjoy the diving. We can also include Pamilacan diving as part of your Advanced Open Water Diving Course for a special price if you wish to advance your scuba skills.
Is diving in Pamilacan worth it?
Diving in Pamilacan is some of the best you’ll experience in Panglao. it’s very comparable to Balicasag Island, another very popular diving spot.
How to get to Pamilacan Island?
Pamilacan Island is about 40 minutes from Alona Beach in a bangka boat, or 20 minutes from Baclayon. For most tourists who stay in Panglao it’s more convenient to rent a private boat, or to join a diving center on their scuba diving trip.
Is diving in Pamilacan good for beginner?
Diving in Pamilacan can be a little harder as there are usually strong currents there starting from the afternoon. Being an advanced open water diver is advised.