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Bohol Divers lists only three dive sites at Balicasag. 1. Black Forrest 2. Marine Sanctuary (which includes rudy's rock) and 3. Divers Heaven (which includes Rico's wall and Cathedral). In one tank alone you can cover 1/3 of the island (average 65 mins dive time) ; so there 3 tank dive to do Balicasag.
Posting some sample pics for now. First simple pic was taken at Black forrest.
Second pic was taken enroute to Divers Heaven. Them Barracudas stayed with us for a full 20 minutes. They were in open blue water (100 ft; 70ft; 40 ft) so we had to zip in and out of the reef wall every once in a while. The pic doesn't do justice to the immense size of the school, sometimes they go vertical like a tornado and sometimes they just swim horizontally like a solid wall. Unforgettable...
The 3rd pic was taken at the end of the Divers Heaven site. It looks like a well manicured lawn
The fourth pic is of a parade of Giant trevallies; jacks and moorish idols which passed us by in open blue water as we were doing our safety stop (after a 68 min. drift dive) at the marine sanctuary.
More pics to follow, lots of work in the office.
Last edited by clgsamson; November 3rd, 2005 at 08:25 PM.
your pictures are simply amazing... i literally froze :froze: when i saw your school of barracudas. man! what i'd do to have a chance to see 'em :bouncesbl ...you seemed so out of place in that lawn-looking seagrass bed - it looked like someone's backyard :526:
Dive Site - Black Forest, Balicasag Island Steep Slope Dive 30 – 40 minutes from AlonaBeach (250 degrees from Alona) Visibility – 50 to 80 feet Depth – 20 – 165 ft. Current – Slight to moderate
We started the dive with the slope on the right shoulder, going south. There were many coral heads in the shallow part and when you get down to 100ft plus, you find forests of black corals. The deeper waters have large groupers, humpheads, tuna, batfish and snappers. Often a school of big Jacks swimming will encircle you for several minutes until they get bored. Barracudas and rainbow runners also often appear out of the blue. On the sand, it’s like an aquarium of all kinds of anthias (blue ones), groupers, Parrot fish, Tangs, Emperors. They say (dive shop owners in Panglao) this is the best dive site in the Bohol Triangle.
Time in – 9:36am Time out - 10:48am with 3 mins SS. Temp – 82f
Dive Site – Marine Sanctuary, Balicasag Island All Wall Dive Visibility – 40 to 60 feet Depth - 15 – 120 ft Current – none to slight
Started the dive with the wall on the left going south. It’s a drop off wall in front of the Balicasag resort. It has many small caverns, ledges and reef overhangs (bringing a dive light would be a good idea). Large schools of unicorn fish and silver jacks that are swimming in circles like a tornado. Green turtles were also seen. There were lots of titans and clown triggers here.
Time in - 11:54am Time out - 1:02pm with 3 mins. SS Temp 84f
Dives Site – Divers Heaven, BalicasagIsland Steep Slope Dive Visibility – 40 to 20 ft. Depth – 20 – 120 ft Current – none to strong
Dived with the steep slope on your right shoulder. This is where the barracudas stayed for a full 20 minutes, lazily forming a circle and going around us. We ended the dive at a grassy area which from afar looks like a well manicured lawn, it is surreal. Frogfish, an Octopus and of course nudis are in the holes of the rocks on each coral head and you’ll be rewarded if you go slowly to look. Be careful though of the occasional stone/lion fishes. In terms of sightings, color and fish life, this to me is the best dive site in all bohol.
Time in - 2:24pm Time out - 3:29pm with 3 mins SS Temp 84f
Some of the other dives Myra and I made were a night dive at the Alona house reef, day dives at BBC, Arco Point (vertical hole – entry at 60 ft, exit at 30ft), Doljo, Puntod wall and Puntod Point. If you like wall diving, Bohol/Balicasag is for you. Word of advice though, always watch your buoyancy if ever you'll see what I saw in my dives.
Oh by the way, watch for the dolphins when you surface...
Last edited by clgsamson; November 4th, 2005 at 08:04 AM.
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Originally Posted by Spoon
bravo!
