Philippines Dive Notes, May 2012, Part 3. Mactan, Cebu

[currier]

I applaud the effort that you've put into these three reports, Tjack!

Thanks for sharing so much of your adventure with us. My reading brought sentiments of longing to the surface - can't wait to return to this remarkable gem of a destination!

 

[mmtndiver]

Thanks Tjack,

Can you recomend any dive shops or accomadations in those areas.

Thanks again for you trip reports thats right where we are considering diving.

 

[edpdiver]

Good trip reports. Thanks for posting. I agree that Mactan/Cebu area has some nice dives. I do not think that they are as good as the wonderful diving nearby (e.g., Bohol, Moalboal), but they are definitely worth doing. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[RonFrank]

Nice job Tom! Thanks for the reports, I was almost there!

 

[rjjj111]

I am now planning to stay at mactan to go see the sardines. I have seen them on 2 different trips to moalboal and i realize this is *not* likely the same school of sardines. i am looking into diving with kontikidivers.com right now and stay at their hotel there. any suggestion on what other *must dive* locations in the mactan area? i want to make sure i cover any great dive locations while there. i did see there is a deep cave near mactan also, any opinion on that place?

 

[Tjack]

Occasionally we used to go over to Tingo for a morning deeeeep dive for threshers but the success rate was maybe 3/10. But tons of macro on the shelf so never a wasted trip IMO.

How deep is deeeeep, Supergaijin?

Tingo Point off Olango Island would be worth a shot to see a Thresher Shark.

 

[rjjj111]

I plan for this visit was to see the sardines mostly, my gf has never seen any before, so this is mostly a trip for her. I have been to moalboal 2 different trips and dove with the sardines there several times. we are then planning to go to the eco park 1 hour north of Cebu city, then catch a direct flight to Camiguin island for a week or so. more diving on Camiguin island plus a lot of site seeing on the island.

I saw thresher sharks for about 20 seconds with the sardines in moalboal. it was just enough time to say I saw them, that is about it. but it would be nice to see more of them that 20 seconds.