Black Forest Dive Site

Overview

Black Forest is a steep-slope dive site on Balicasag Island, Panglao, too deep for snorkelling and rated for PADI Open Water divers and above. Visibility runs 15–30 m, depth from 8 m to beyond 40 m, with the most active marine life around 15 m.

Local dive guides rate the site 5/5 and rank it the best in the Bohol Triangle — one of the few sites in the area untouched by dynamite fishing. Black coral (Antipathes spp.) colonies concentrate at 35–45 m.

Location

Balicasag Island, off the southwestern coast of Panglao, Bohol. Administratively under Panglao municipality. Access is by banca from Alona Beach, Panglao (approximately 20–30 minutes).

Getting There

All dive operators on Alona Beach offer Balicasag trips that typically include Black Forest. Book through any dive shop on Alona Beach. Day trips usually cover two dives. Boat transfers are arranged by the dive operator.

Practical Info

• Minimum certification: PADI Open Water (or equivalent)
• Depth: 8–40 m (most interesting at 15 m; black coral at 35–45 m)
• Visibility: 15–30 m
• Current: rated 1–3 (variable; drift dive in second half)
• Not suitable for snorkelling
• Dive profile: not affected by dynamite fishing
• Triggerfish can be aggressive May–July (nesting season)
• Marine sanctuary rules apply

What to Expect

The dive starts at the shallow section, right shoulder heading south, past multiple coral heads. About 20 minutes in, the current reverses, turning the second half into a drift dive.

Marine life spans the reef staples — Anthias, rockcods and groupers (Serranidae), scorpionfish, squirrelfish, parrotfish, wrasse, damselfish, anemonefish — plus triggerfish, schooling jackfish, and the black coral formations that give the site its name.

The shift from coral-head shallows to a reversing current and a deep antipatharian wall makes this one dive with three distinct sections.

Notes

• This entity (black-forest-dive) is sourced from a scraped dive guide narrative. A parallel entity (black-forest) is sourced from the BPTO tourism profile and covers the same physical site — review both before publishing; consider merging into a single canonical record
• Rated best dive site in the Bohol Triangle — a claim worth citing with source attribution on the published page
• Danajon Bank / Double Barrier Reef context referenced in source narrative: the broader reef system that encompasses Balicasag and the northern Bohol dive zone