Balicasag – Cathedral
A craggy wall on the southwest side of the island with caves, crevices and a chamber lit by shafts of light. The wall starts only 30–50 m from the beach in 2–3 m of water, and big jacks idle in the current.
Facts
- Region: Dauin, Apo Island & Bohol – Philippines
- Area: Balicasag Island
- Depth: 3–30 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: moderate
- Type: wall, cave, marine sanctuary
- Coordinates: 9.515, 123.6808 (approximate)
- Highlights: jacks, turtle, soft coral, cave
- Permit: Balicasag is a protected marine sanctuary. An environmental user fee of about PHP 250 per diver per day applies (Alona Divers lists a PHP 250/day marine park fee for Balicasag); it is usually collected by the dive operator, sometimes in cash on the island. Strict daily diver limits are reported, so book through a Panglao operator in advance, especially December–April.
- Issuer / contact: Alona Divers (fee passed on as the marine park fee; no separate sanctuary office contact found)
- Phone: +63 928 153 8261
- Email: Joseph10Jayme@yahoo.com
- Website: https://www.alonadivers.com
- Unverified: The maximum depth of the wall is not stated in the sources (30 m is a rough upper figure I chose for the plan); position approximate.
- Tips: Bring a torch for the recesses. Current can run along the wall.