Cathedral - Dive Site in Bohol

A grandiose underwater dive site is what divers call the Cathedral or Royal Garden. When we’re after a terrific scene of vast underwater sea wall with huge overhangs, cavernous gaps, and incredible ledges, the Cathedral is recommended dive destination.

It’s just 10 kilometers from the popular Alona Beach in Bohol. Or, we may choose Belleview Rockas a reference point and travel 10 kilometers from there to Cathedral. When traveling by a motored banca it takes about 25 minutes from Alona to the site. Cathedral is a world class dive site situated near a Poblacion or village of Panglao Island in the vicinity of Balicasag Island which is at the southwest end of Panglao.

Just a snorkeling trip can reveal a lot of fabulous sights found on this wall of corals, yellow Bucket sponges, and gigantic brightly colored sea fans.

From a depth of 3 meters we can already get glimpses of the wonders concealed within the openings and caverns of the Cathedral wall. The view grows more exciting as we go deeper to 45 meters.

The descent may occasionally show Barracudas and Angel fish, quietly roaming the wall perimeters, or some Snubnose Drummer darting out of crevices. There are also big mackerels and Golden Sergeant fish wandering near the wall. Divers report seeing Midnight Snappers and Pyramid Butterfly fish, among other unique sea water species.

Expert divers give an excellent rating for Cathedral, especially on matters about gentle water current, sight-worthiness, and visibility. On a sunny day, sunlight beams are said to penetrate underwater and reveal startling portions of the wall’s fissures.

A diving tip is to go under 20 meters but not deeper than 30 meters. Being a protected sanctuary, the Cathedral is not affected by adverse fishing methods, especially dynamite fishing.

Why the name Cathedral? Perhaps this is in reference to its imposing underwater sea wall of continuous descent disturbed only by ledges and overhangs jutting out occasionally. Or probably it refers to a cleft on the rocky wall that leads to a huge cavernous hall inside.

The nearest lodging to the Cathedral is found on the 25-hectare island of Balicasag—the Balicasag Island Dive Resort. A night’s stay in a duplex cottage costs around $55 per person. A night’s stay in a dormitory (with 8 beds) costs around $144.

What else could be a grander sanctuary than the Cathedral? It is the best place for deep sea diving contemplation, far from the noise even of the countryside.