Ricos Wall Dive Site in Bohol

Ricos Wall is a world class dive/ snorkeling spot that is located southwest of Balicasag Island. Ricos Wall can be reached via a motorized boat from Alona Beach in Panglao Island, Bohol. Balicasag Island is 6 kms southwest off Panglao Island. (One can also reach Ricos Wall from Belleview Rock Resort though it’s going to be a longer travel--- about 11 kms).

To get to Alona Beach from Tagbilaran Airport, one may get a cab or a coach or the cheaper tricycle. Tricycle fare costs only Php 250 or about US$6. The other types of transportation cost more than double of that.

From Alona Beach, you can hire a motorized pump for Php 1800 to Balicasag Island.

Ricos Wall is perfect for snorkeling because the reef top is very shallow. Rico’s Wall has a visibility of 15 – 40 meters, an average depth of 50 feet, and a maximum depth of 165 feet. 23 feet to 36 feet below the surface sea level, there is a coral garden. Beyond that, at 115 feet, a wall drops. The drop-off wall is in front of Balicasag Island Dive Resort, on the west side of Balicasag Island.

The coral garden is abundant with marine life. There are stone corals, soft and leathery corals, feather fish, sea stars, clownfishes, small reef fishes, alabaster sea cucumbers, nudibranches, feather duster worms, and anemones. You can watch shoals of fusiliers, jacks, snappers, batfish, anthias, snappers, pennantfish, and wrasse frequenting the reef edge as well as the shallower areas of Ricos Wall.

There are also large schools of angelfish, orange-striped tigerfish, butterfly fish, Vlaming’s Unicornfish, cornet fish, Midnight snapper, and big sweetlip fishes. You may also encounter a shoal of big-eyed trevally who may encircle you for a few minutes then swim away.

Deeper down, a diver will find Napoleon wrasse and larger groupers as well as tuna and, occasionally, grey or whitetip reef shark. Rainbow runners and barracudas can also be spotted occasionally.

Ricos Wall, one will find many caverns, reef over-hangings, ledges, and crevices frequented by moral eels, lionfish, and soldier fish. The wall itself is covered with barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fons, basket sponges, and elephant ear sponges.

If you continue your dive to the south, you will reach Rudy’s Rock and if you dive to the north, you will end up in Cathedral. Rudy’s Rock and Cathedral are two other world class dive spots neighboring Ricos Wall. Rudy’s Rock is an extension of Ricos Wall and both are very much like except that one can spot more often large Green Turtles at Rudy’s Rock.