Sumisid Lodge, Moalboal

The deep waters of the Tanon Strait combine with the currents that run along Moalboal’s coastline and create the perfect conditions for the growth of plunging walls of coral that start literally metres from the shore. Add in the great visibility, beautiful beaches and lots of marine life and you’ll understand why Moalboal was one of the first areas in the Philippines to find fame as a dive destination. Yet despite its long-standing popularity, Moalboal has held on to its laid-back, friendly atmosphere - one that continues to draw divers from around the world.

Diving with Moalboal's sardines

Moalboal’s diving claim to fame is its version of the Sardine Run - a vast, shimmering school of silvery sardines that currently hugs the coast at Panagsama. When divers first discovered this incredible natural phenomenon, the sardines congregated at Pescador Island, but in recent years the fish have moved closer to shore. Today, divers, freedivers and snorkelers alike can simply swim out from the beach and be engulfed in this pulsating, swirling mass of fish - an experience like no other in the Philippines.

The reefs that surround the peninsula’s coastline support an incredible amount of marine life and you can encounter schools of barracudas, jackfish and batfish, plenty of turtles, and a huge diversity of smaller marine life. One of the highlights is diving at Pescador Island, just a few kilometres offshore. This protected area has plenty of marine life, including schooling fish, reef sharks and turtles, but is more well known for its swim-throughs and tunnels that split the reef. Closer to shore you can explore the wreck of a small plane just off the northern tip of the peninsula, visit another marine protected filled with fish life and drift along the plunging walls that define the west coast. And head further south, and you’ll find the little-explored reefs and walls of Alegria.