Panaon Island
Travel time: Approximately 2 hours
Dive level: Intermediate/Easy
Dive type: Boat
Across the resort is Panaon Island, connected to the mainland by the Liloan Bridge. The island constitutes the longer flank of Sogod Bay and is more comfortably accessed by boat.
The underwater walls at Napantaw, San Francisco have huge gorgonian, black, and soft corals fed by the strong currents. Inhabitants of the reef include batfish, grouper, sweetlips, and pretty much every other reef fish you would expect to find on walls as diverse as these.
There is a cave at 40 meters, so take a flashlight. Watch your depth: if you don’t locate it within the first few minutes, simply concentrate on the amazing reef life a little higher up the wall to avoid risking the bends. Turtles and barracudas also frequent the area.
Local divers have set up a mooring buoy to protect the reef from anchor damage. A modest dive fee is charged for every diver to help finance monitoring and protection measures undertaken by the barangay (village) council.
Son-ok Point in neighboring Pintuyan features a terrace-like terrain abloom with corals. Huge schools of jacks, surgeons, and black-tip sharks are regular sightings, as well as trumpetfish, colorful butterflyfish, puffers, snappers, groupers, cuttlefish, and various species of damselfish. Giant clams and other mollusks are also common in the area.
And they say…
“One of the top 20 dive sites in Southeast Asia.”
—Asian Diver Magazine
“Extremely good wall diving, with Napantaw at the top of the list.”
“Napantaw is the most beautiful wall I have had the privilege of diving.”
“It was indeed beautiful. It has a wall covered with fans, soft corals, sponges, and small reef fish. Definitely one of the best sites I have seen.”
“You have to see it to believe. This wall is a real gem.”
“Teeming… Long after I’ve shot my last frame, I swam off the wall to marvel at this creation of nature.”
“Near-vertical walls… Macro life more than abundant, but so are the medium- and large-size fish often absent from other Philippine dive sites.”
“Napantaw rates as one of the best dive sites I have ever been to.”
“A very nice dive site with huge gorgonian, black, and soft corals.”
“Splendid… Gliding over the reef was just spectacular. Such clear water and fantastic soft corals!”
“Strong currents, impressive coral formations… Certainly worth a visit for the diversity of marine life on offer.”
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