Moalaboal - Turtle Bay Dive Resort

Situated in Moalboal, Cebu, Turtle Bay Dive Resort provides a dedicated space for divers looking to explore the rich marine ecosystems of the Philippines. The resort is positioned directly opposite the local house reef, allowing for easy access to the area's most iconic marine life right from the shore.

Established by a family of divers, the centre has been operating for nine years. It serves as a base for exploring a wide variety of environments, from deep vertical walls and underwater canyons to wreck diving and vibrant coral gardens.

As a PADI 5 Star dive centre, the resort maintains high standards for both training and recreational diving. The team is known for being helpful and welcoming, catering to a wide range of experience levels from those taking their first breaths underwater to professional-level divers.

Instruction is available in English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. This multilingual approach ensures clear communication during briefings and throughout the various PADI course programmes offered on-site.

The resort offers a comprehensive catalogue of PADI courses. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving or the Bubble Maker programme, progressing through to Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water Diver.

For those looking to advance their skills or career, the centre provides training for Rescue Diver, Divemaster, and Master Scuba Diver. Specialty courses and Emergency First Responder training are also available to round out your certification profile.

The centre operates three boats to service its daily dive schedules. These vessels provide access to the local sites, including the offshore walls and the island dives.

Onboard, you will find emergency oxygen and refreshments including water, tea, coffee, and snacks. The boats are configured to handle various dive types, including night dives and trips to more distant locations like Pescador Island.

The centre provides a full range of rental kit, including BCDs, regulators, wetsuits, dive computers, and torches for night diving. For those who prefer to use their own equipment, a full rental service is also available for masks, snorkels, and fins.

Nitrox is available for divers looking to extend their bottom time. The facility also supports the local marine environment through a dedicated conservation fee included in the diving operations.

The marine life here is defined by massive schools of sardines and a high density of turtles. You will regularly see green sea turtles grazing along the walls and reef flats, alongside large numbers of fusiliers, damselfish, and anthias.

On the deeper walls and rocky slopes, look for larger pelagics such as tuna, mackerel, and barracuda. Whitetip sharks and spotted eagle rays are also known to visit these waters.

For macro enthusiasts, the reefs host a variety of specialist life including nudibranchs, shrimp, and various species of ghost pipefish. Keep a close eye on the coral heads for leaf fish and scorpionfish.

The hard and soft coral structures provide the essential habitat for much of this life, with large gorgonians, sea whips, and extensive staghorn coral formations creating a complex underwater landscape.

Diving in Moalboal involves a variety of environments, from shallow reef flats to deep walls. Some sites, such as Tuble Reef, can experience incoming currents in the cave areas, which requires careful buoyancy and positioning.

Pescador Island dives can be influenced by the Amihan wind. When diving at Tongo Point or other reef-entry sites, be mindful of the tides, as certain sections can be very shallow during low tide.