What could be more intriguing than a sunken island? It is probable that at some point this incredible sea mount, with its tip located 75 feet beneath the ocean’s surface, may have at some time touched the sky and been home to land-dwellers of some type; if so, that was a millennia ago. Today, the sunken island is a world-class dive site and one of the best in the Philippines. Suitable only for experienced divers with a taste for true adventure diving, the site is awash with currents, and is located in the deep, blue Tañon strait.
Diving Sunken Island
Rising up from the seabed 165 feet below the surface, this seamount is almost like a massive pinnacle; however, it is much too large to explore in a single dive. After making a free descent through the deep sapphire blue water to the top of the island, which is covered in a vast forest of corals and gorgonians, sea fans, sea whips, and magnificent sponges, including some huge barrel sponges the size of a person, you can make your way to your chosen depth, then spend some time looking out into the blue.
If you’ve come here to see pelagics, you certainly will not be disappointed. With massive shoals of tuna, mackerel, big eye trevally, and huge swathes of the yellowtail and blue lined snappers that are everywhere in the Philippines, Sunken Island is also a good place to encounter some creatures that are seen less often. Black tip reef sharks are commonly encountered here, as are eagle rays and even the occasional manta ray. You may see a turtle or two if you’re lucky, and you will more than likely encounter groupers, moray eels, and potato cod among the rocks.
Smaller creatures are in attendance here as well; look for sea horses among the sea fans, and keep an eye out for spider crabs and hermit crabs, lionfish, triggerfish, fusiliers, and anthias. Big silver balls of baitfish can be seen out in the blue, taunting the larger predators that hunt them. It’s a never-ending show, one that is well worth capturing on video or with your still camera. Whether you are planning to take photos or not, be sure to bring along appropriate light sources so that you can enjoy all the colorful life that awaits on this marvelous sunken island.
If you are hoping to encounter whale sharks, plan to visit between December and March, when they travel through this area in higher numbers. During the plankton blooms that bring the whale sharks and higher numbers of manta rays, expect reduced visibility. The rest of year, visibility can be as good as 120 feet or better.
No matter when you plan to dive Cebu’s Sunken Island, be sure to plan well in advance. Physical fitness will help increase your enjoyment of this dive, and so will a keen eye – besides the many creatures which can be seen with little or no effort, there are also frogfish and well-hidden octopus here, plus there are some amazing nudibranchs. Last but not least, remember the no-touch rule. This is one of the only truly pristine reefs in the Philippines; and careful conservation will help keep it that way.