Cataban Fish Sanctuary

Overview

Cataban Fish Sanctuary is a Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Barangay Cataban, Talibon, Bohol. The sanctuary is part of the Coral Triangle Initiative, a multilateral framework aimed at safeguarding marine biodiversity across six countries in the Indo-Pacific.

The sanctuary has received funding through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) for rehabilitation efforts, including the supply of new patrol boats for the marine protected areas in the province. This investment reflects the sanctuary’s role within Bohol’s broader network of MPAs, which are managed at the barangay and municipal level.

The barangay of Cataban is also served by pump boats operating the Cataban–Talibon route, connecting it to the municipal center.

Location

Barangay Cataban, Talibon, Bohol. Talibon is a second-class municipality on the northeastern coast of Bohol, approximately 84 km from Tagbilaran City by road.

Getting There

From Tagbilaran City, take a bus or van bound for Talibon via the Bohol Circumferential Road — approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. From Talibon port or the town center, pump boats serve the Cataban route.

[TO ENRICH: pump boat fare and schedule for the Cataban–Talibon route, travel time by boat.]

Practical Info

• Gateway: Talibon
• Municipality: Talibon
• Barangay: Cataban
• Tourism type: Others — Cruise and Nautical Tourism
• MPA status: Active, part of Coral Triangle Initiative; officially referenced in provincial CRM records as “Cataban MPA (Talibon)”
• A 2013 Bohol coastal resource management profile lists Cataban MPA among the province’s top-tier “sustained”-rated locally managed MPAs in the Danajon Reef — meaning it had documented, enforced management plans as of that assessment
• PRDP-GEF funding has supported “Cataban Marine Sanctuary Rehabilitation,” bundled in provincial procurement records with the neighboring “Guindacpan Marine Protected Area Rehabilitation” project (fuel, marker buoys, and MPA supplies procured together) [FACT NEEDED: exact year of rehabilitation completion]

[TO ENRICH: snorkeling or diving access, entrance fee, designated swimming zones, caretaker contact.]

What to Expect

This is a working sanctuary, not a dive-tourism site — the closed zone exists so fish stocks can rebuild and, in turn, replenish the fishing grounds around it. It sits within Danajon Bank, one of only two double barrier reefs in the Indo-Pacific, which makes reef health here a useful proxy for the wider bank’s condition.

[TO ENRICH: species commonly seen, reef condition, whether visitor permits are required, guided snorkeling availability.]

Notes

• Listed in the BPTO Table 11 Inventory of Tourist Attractions (2025).
• The Coral Triangle Initiative covers the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Timor-Leste.
• Talibon municipality also contains Bat-awan Peak and the Ipil River.

Sources:

• Coastal Environmental and Fisheries Profile / DBP CRM Profile 2013 (Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation), accessed 2026-07-17.
• Provincial Procurement Management Unit (PPMU) Bohol — procurement notices for “Guindacpan Marine Protected Area Rehabilitation, and Cataban Marine Sanctuary Rehabilitation” (PRDP-GEF-MPA-008), accessed 2026-07-17.