okamiotoko2004
July 31st, 2009, 02:36 AM
I returned a few days ago from a dive trip to Moalboal, Cebu. It was a great trip and the diving was awesome and some of the best diving I have ever done. We stayed at Marcosis Resort in Moalboal. Marcosis is a really nice place with a great pool and tropical setting with a very friendly helpful staff. My girlfriend and I dove with Cebu Dive Center in Moalboal. Marius and his crews were nothing but the best. The diving with them was relaxed and at our own pace and they allowed us to maximize our bottom time. They picked us up daily at our resort and we were off on some great diving. Thank you to everyone at Cebu Dive Center.
Our first dive was to Tongo Point not too far off the beach and not too far from where we were staying. The seas were calm and clear and the conditions couldn’t have been better topside. We geared up, back rolled into the water and descended into a myriad of purple, white, yellow, and orange small fish all around us. These fish were interspersed with Tangs and Butterfly fish that pecked at the coral heads. Hard and soft corals of all sizes, types and colors were all around and the reef was in great shape. As we swam over the edge and descended down the wall we saw several turtles with Remora’s hitching a ride on some of the most beautiful shells I have scene. One of these Remora decided to try and hitch a ride first on my knee and then on my elbow. As we descended to 110 feet we saw Nudibrancs, Pipefish, and even Pigmy Seahorses in the Antler coral. Great dive to start off our 5 days of diving.
For our second dive we headed off to Kosai Point. This was also just offshore. We again dropped into an aquarium view of fish. As descended down the side of the wall we saw numerous Lionfish fish, Scorpion fish, Seahorses and Pipefish hanging out in the under hangs and nooks and crannies of the coral. Interspersed amongst the coral we also saw Anemones and Clownfish of several types all of them showing their bravado. It was almost comical as they tried to show us down and get us away from their home.
We started out our second day of diving with a short boat ride to Pescador Island. Again we dropped in on top of the reef with sights of nothing but fish of numerous colors, sizes and types swimming through and on top of a pristine reef. We headed over to the edge and then down the side of the wall. As we swam alongside of the wall we saw numerous Jacks, Groupers, Scorpion fish, Frog fish, Lionfish, Nudibrancs, huge Clams and Oysters. Toward the end of the dive we noticed it got real dark like if the sun had set. We looked up and saw a huge school of Sardines balled up and flashing their sides as Jacks swam through the ball of fish picking them the Sardines off one at a time. It was an awesome sight. And as we made our ascent we were memorized by the sight of the flash of sides of the Sardines and Jacks on the hunt. A Thresher Shark made a brief appearance below the ball of Sardines. In all we did 3 dives at Pescador Island and each time it was an awesome dive. I could dive there all day for weeks and still not get enough of it.
We also did dives at Dolphin House, White House Beach, Chosarai Point and White Beach. Each time the dives were great. Visibility was not as good at White House and White Beach but they were still great dives. Lionfish, Pigmy Seahorses, an occasional sea snake, Green Sea Turtles, and a school of Barracuda and Jacks graced us with their presence. There were also numerous Nudibrancs and numerous other macro items to look for along with the schools of small fish to provide some vivid color and excitement to the reefs.
All in all it was 5 great days of awesome diving at Moalboal, Cebu. On a non-diving related note we also did some canyoning with Action Adventures in Moalboal as a topside excursion. This was a blast and well worth the time. We hiked up a hillside to Tison Falls. The hike was long and hard but the views were incredible. As we reached the falls we were soaked from head to toe and all of us hopped in the water to cool off in the cool waters while our guides set of the ropes to rappel down the rock face. We then did an 8 meter jump into a pool of water. The cool water so refreshing and the sights were unbelievable. All in all we swam, hiked and jumped our way through the canyon to our starting point through some beautiful country. To finish off the day we had a great BBQ lunch topped off with some beer. We had a blast.
Our first dive was to Tongo Point not too far off the beach and not too far from where we were staying. The seas were calm and clear and the conditions couldn’t have been better topside. We geared up, back rolled into the water and descended into a myriad of purple, white, yellow, and orange small fish all around us. These fish were interspersed with Tangs and Butterfly fish that pecked at the coral heads. Hard and soft corals of all sizes, types and colors were all around and the reef was in great shape. As we swam over the edge and descended down the wall we saw several turtles with Remora’s hitching a ride on some of the most beautiful shells I have scene. One of these Remora decided to try and hitch a ride first on my knee and then on my elbow. As we descended to 110 feet we saw Nudibrancs, Pipefish, and even Pigmy Seahorses in the Antler coral. Great dive to start off our 5 days of diving.
For our second dive we headed off to Kosai Point. This was also just offshore. We again dropped into an aquarium view of fish. As descended down the side of the wall we saw numerous Lionfish fish, Scorpion fish, Seahorses and Pipefish hanging out in the under hangs and nooks and crannies of the coral. Interspersed amongst the coral we also saw Anemones and Clownfish of several types all of them showing their bravado. It was almost comical as they tried to show us down and get us away from their home.
We started out our second day of diving with a short boat ride to Pescador Island. Again we dropped in on top of the reef with sights of nothing but fish of numerous colors, sizes and types swimming through and on top of a pristine reef. We headed over to the edge and then down the side of the wall. As we swam alongside of the wall we saw numerous Jacks, Groupers, Scorpion fish, Frog fish, Lionfish, Nudibrancs, huge Clams and Oysters. Toward the end of the dive we noticed it got real dark like if the sun had set. We looked up and saw a huge school of Sardines balled up and flashing their sides as Jacks swam through the ball of fish picking them the Sardines off one at a time. It was an awesome sight. And as we made our ascent we were memorized by the sight of the flash of sides of the Sardines and Jacks on the hunt. A Thresher Shark made a brief appearance below the ball of Sardines. In all we did 3 dives at Pescador Island and each time it was an awesome dive. I could dive there all day for weeks and still not get enough of it.
We also did dives at Dolphin House, White House Beach, Chosarai Point and White Beach. Each time the dives were great. Visibility was not as good at White House and White Beach but they were still great dives. Lionfish, Pigmy Seahorses, an occasional sea snake, Green Sea Turtles, and a school of Barracuda and Jacks graced us with their presence. There were also numerous Nudibrancs and numerous other macro items to look for along with the schools of small fish to provide some vivid color and excitement to the reefs.
All in all it was 5 great days of awesome diving at Moalboal, Cebu. On a non-diving related note we also did some canyoning with Action Adventures in Moalboal as a topside excursion. This was a blast and well worth the time. We hiked up a hillside to Tison Falls. The hike was long and hard but the views were incredible. As we reached the falls we were soaked from head to toe and all of us hopped in the water to cool off in the cool waters while our guides set of the ropes to rappel down the rock face. We then did an 8 meter jump into a pool of water. The cool water so refreshing and the sights were unbelievable. All in all we swam, hiked and jumped our way through the canyon to our starting point through some beautiful country. To finish off the day we had a great BBQ lunch topped off with some beer. We had a blast.