July 17, 2017

Scuba Diving through the Sardine Bowl

Dive Shop: SeaQuest Dive Center
Website: seaquestdivecenter.com
Email: info@seaquestdivecenter.com
Phone: (032) 474.0004
Mobile: (63) (0)999.380.2420 (Smart) / (63) (0)927.309.6383 (Globe)
Location: Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
Google Map: 9°57'01.0"N 123°21'56.7"E

Sardine Run
I've been through the sardine bowl many times with my freediving, so I thought scuba diving in the shallows to do a photoshoot with the sardines is the same old thing. I was dead wrong. It went beyond amazing!

Dive Site: Sardine Bowl
Location: SeaQuest Dive Center, house reef
Dive Master, Photography and Art Direction: Rodrigo 'Rudy' Deniega
Depth: 10m
Visibility: 20m
Duration: 30mins
Dive No.: 41

Cumulonimbus Clouds
Staying underneath the sardines as they blanket the top like massive Cumulonimbus clouds blocking sunlight and casting a dark over-reaching shadow underneath felt like moments before a downpour. As I pass through them, they part like the Red Sea, giving it a surreal feel of entering a forbidden realm.

Ending Thoughts
A sardine dive is as surreal as it gets. I would put this dive up the scale together with scuba diving Barracuda Lake and wreck diving the Kogyo Maru of Coron. A must-experience! Thank you Rudy, thank you SeaQuest Dive Center!

--- TheLoneRider

Next stop: Freediving Moalboal

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

tourist attractions

Sardine Bowl - millions of sardines milled around in front of Panagsama Beach
Pescador Island - short boat ride, famous dive spots
Panagsama Beach - sardine bowl, white sand beaches and the hub of tourism/expat activity in Moalboal
Basdaku White Beach - stretch of long white sand beach in Basdaku
Scuba, Freediving and Snorkeling - the entire Moalboal peninsula is a massive coral reef with depths reaching 300m

resort hotel

Editha's Southsea Holiday Houses - quiet, detached houses, beachfront location, mature community, long-term tenants
Tongo Point Rd, Moalboal, 6032 Cebu
Sumisid Lodge - beachfront resort, diveshop, sardine-location, near local transport
Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines
Rosita's Cottages - 2 locations, kitchen, wifi, cable tv, motorcycle rental
Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, Moalboal, Cebu
Eskapo Verde - team-building accommodation, restaurant, water sports, function room
Badian, Cebu (6kms south of Moalboal)

bar

7 Sins Bar - accepts bitcoin, pool table
Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

fashion accessories

Michael and Lilet Handmade Jewelry - one-of-a-kind costume jewelry
Panagsama Beach, Basdiot, Moalboal, Cebu

Travel Tips about Moalboal

money changer - there are 2 money changes here in Panagsama Beach - Saavedra Cottages and the small store in front of Cora's Cottages. They both offer dismal rates. Best exchange rate is at Gaisano Moalboal town center (bring an ID!!!) followed by M. Lhuillier, then Palawan
weather - even though it might be raining cats-and-dogs in Cebu City or in Negros Oriental, the sun is likely to be out in Moalboal. It only rains there if there is an actual monsoon. So don't let that rain scare you off from your dive trip.
tricycle - rides could end up pricey if you don't plan for it. Best to get a price established with a tricycle or motorcycle driver as you arrive (usually P50/pax for single motorcycle ride and P100/trip for a tricycle) to White Beach. Then arrange for a date/time pick-up from your resort at that same price rate (otherwise you will end up paying for a round trip)
folding bike - if you really want to save up on tricycle fare (which could seriously add up if you keep going back and forth from Panagsama - White Beach), bring a folding bike with you. A folding bike fits in the under-belly of a Ceres bus
Town Center to Panagsama Beach - if you want to pay the local rate (not tourist rate) of P10/pax from Town Center to Panagsama Beach, take the tricycle behind Three Sixty Pharmacy. The tricycle will wait until its full before taking off. Tell the driver you're going to "Baybay". On the way back, from Panagsama Beach to Town Center, walk a bit here and board the local tricycle. It will wait again to fill up before taking off. Best to pay the tricycle driver while awaiting for other passengers. That way, he can't charge you tourist fare when you alight.
Town Center to White Beach - local tricycle rate is P25/pax beside Three Sixty Pharmacy. You should see tricycles with painted signboard, "White Beach". Tell the driver you're going to "Basdaku"

How to get to Moalboal from Dumaguete:

From Dumaguete, take a bus or jeep going north and ask to be dropped-off at the Sibulan Town Proper (~P10, 10 mins). Take the short walk to the pier.
Take either the pumpboat or fastcraft to Liloan, Cebu (~P50, 30 mins)
From the Liloan port, take a tricycle to the Bato Bus Terminal (~P20 if shared, 10 mins)
From the terminal, take the Cebu City bus via Barili and ask to dropped-off to Moalboal Town Proper (P70, ~2 hours)

How to get to Moalboal from Cebu City:

take a Ceres Bus at the South Bus Terminal going to Bato (make sure its via Barili) and get off at the Moalboal Town Center - 3 hours, P130 (aircon)
From Town Center, take a tricycle to your resort. Town Center to Panagsama Beach (~P50 if no other passenger, 10 mins).

Moalboal Blogs by TheLoneRider