Sanctuary
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
Sanctuary is a designated marine protected area reef dive site around Pamilacan Island, Bohol, Philippines, where fishing is prohibited, allowing the coral garden and its inhabitants to thrive undisturbed. The site is one of the island's most protected and well-preserved, with vibrant coral formations and depths ranging from 5 metres to around 18–20 metres.
The terrain is a shallow reef suited to relaxed, unhurried diving. Currents are absent, water clarity is good, and the calm conditions make this an ideal site for beginner divers as well as underwater photographers who want time to work the reef carefully.
Macro life is the main draw here: pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, pipefish, frogfish, garden eels, moray eels, and trumpetfish are all recorded at the site, along with juvenile reef species. The protected status means marine life density is notably high throughout the coral garden.
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Entry is by boat. The lack of current means divers can move at their own pace across the reef without drifting, making it equally accessible to those new to diving and to experienced divers focused on close-up photography.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Pygmy seahorsePygmy seahorseReported here · unconfirmed
NudibranchNudibranchConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Tomato ClownfishAmphiprion frenatusReported here · unconfirmed
Dusky NembrothaNembrotha kubaryanaReported here · unconfirmed
Blackspotted PufferArothron nigropunctatusReported here · unconfirmed
Crested NembrothaNembrotha cristataReported here · unconfirmed
Pacific TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisReported here · unconfirmed
Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkiiReported here · unconfirmed
Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
Anna's ChromodorisChromodoris annaeReported here · unconfirmed
PipefishPipefishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
FrogfishFrogfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Garden eelGarden eelConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Blacksaddle TobyCanthigaster valentiniObserved near here · iNaturalist
Banded Coral ShrimpStenopus hispidusObserved near here · iNaturalist
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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