French Touch Diving Panglao

Located on Panglao Island in the Bohol archipelago, French Touch Diving offers access to some of the Philippines' most diverse marine environments. The area is renowned for its healthy coral gardens and the variety of life that congregates around the local reefs and offshore islands.

From the shallow reef flats suitable for beginners to the deeper waters where larger pelagics appear, the diving here caters to a broad spectrum of experience levels. The centre serves as a base for exploring both the immediate coastline and more distant sites like Balicasag and Pamilacan.

The centre is operated by an experienced francophone team, making it a preferred choice for French-speaking divers seeking familiar instruction. The staff is trained to provide personalised guidance, ensuring that safety and individual progress remain the priority during every session.

Since its establishment in 2018, the centre has facilitated more than 2,000 certifications. They work with multiple international bodies, including SSI, PADI, and FFESSM, allowing them to accommodate divers from various training backgrounds.

A comprehensive curriculum is available through SSI, PADI, and FFESSM affiliations. Beginners can start with Try Scuba or Scuba Diver courses, progressing through to Open Water Diver and Advanced Open Water certifications.

For those looking to specialise, the centre offers various SSI Specialty courses, including Nitrox, Deep Diving, Navigation, and Underwater Decompression. More advanced divers can pursue professional pathways, including Divemaster, Assistant Instructor, and Instructor levels.

The centre provides well-maintained kit for divers, including essential equipment for reef exploration and night dives. For those travelling light, a range of rental equipment is available on-site.

Nitrox is available for divers looking to extend their bottom time on multi-dive days. The facility is designed to support both training programmes and leisure diving excursions efficiently.

The local reefs are teeming with life, including various species of reef fish, butterflyfish (Chaetodon), and colourful wrasse (Labridae). You will regularly encounter schools of fusilier (Caesio), anthias (Anthias), and larger jacks (Carangidae) moving through the water column.

Large pelagics are a significant draw for the region. Divers can encounter manta rays (Mobula alfredi), dolphins (Delphinidae), and occasionally whale sharks (Rhincodon typus). The presence of groupers (Epinephelus), tuna (Thunnus), and barracudas (Sphyraena barracuda) adds to the biodiversity of the deeper sites.

The hard corals and soft corals form the backbone of the ecosystem, providing habitat for sea turtles, including green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata). Sea fans (Gorgoniidae) and diverse coral gardens create a complex landscape for marine life to inhabit.

For macro enthusiasts, the area offers significant interest. Look out for colourful nudibranchs (Chromodoris willani), frogfish (Antennarius), and various species of shrimp (Caridea). The presence of ghost pipefish (Solenostomidae), pygmy seahorses (Hippocampus bargibanti), and different types of moray eel (Muraenidae) provides endless subjects for close-up photography.

The diving in Panglao is characterised by warm waters and consistent conditions throughout the year. Visibility is typically excellent, often ranging between 20 and 30 metres.

While many sites are sheltered, some offshore locations may experience stronger currents, particularly when visiting deeper reefs or visiting sites like Tubbataha during its seasonal window.