Royal Garden

Overview

Royal Garden is a dive site on the northeast side of Balicasag Island, off Panglao, named for the coral cover that spreads across its sandy bottom in tight, garden-like clusters. It’s a shallow dive by Bohol standards — average depth of 18 meters — with reef fish and resident sea turtles giving it an easier profile than the more technical wall dives nearby.

Balicasag has been a protected marine sanctuary since 1985, one of the oldest in Bohol, and Royal Garden sits inside that boundary alongside the wall dive at Rudy’s Rock on the same island. The sanctuary funds its own patrol and upkeep through diver fees — a shift from the island’s earlier use as a fishing ground that has let both coral cover and fish stocks recover over four decades.

The Panglao local government now caps access to Balicasag at 150 divers and snorkelers a day, two dives maximum per diver, booked in advance and charged a roughly ₱250 environmental user fee per diver — noticeably higher than the ₱100 or so charged at most other Panglao dive sites, reflecting how much more pressure this one small island absorbs relative to its size. The cap is a deliberate limit: unmanaged, a reef this compact and this popular could not sustain the volume of visitors the wider municipality now draws.

Location

Northeast side of Balicasag Island, Panglao municipality, Bohol. Balicasag Island is approximately 8 km southwest of Panglao Island, reachable by banca boat from Alona Beach.

Getting There

All dives to Balicasag Island are boat dives. Banca boats depart from Alona Beach, Panglao. The crossing takes approximately 30–45 minutes depending on sea conditions. Most dive shops on Alona Beach include Royal Garden in their Balicasag rotation. A Balicasag Marine Sanctuary fee applies.

The exact sanctuary entrance fee, booking process, and minimum certification level aren’t published here — confirm current pricing and requirements directly with an Alona Beach dive shop before booking.

Practical Info

• Dive type: coral garden / reef
• Average depth: 18 m
• Difficulty: suitable for Open Water-certified divers given shallow average depth
• Marine life: reef fish, sea turtles
• Visibility, current conditions, and the best time of day to dive vary — ask your dive operator for the current forecast
• Sanctuary fee required (Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary)

What to Expect

Coral covers the sandy bottom in dense, varied clusters at Balicasag’s northeast face — the “garden” the site is named for. Sea turtles are close to a guaranteed sighting; Balicasag is one of Bohol’s most reliable turtle sites, and reef fish diversity across the coral structure is high.

Royal Garden and the wall dive at Rudy’s Rock make up the standard two-dive Balicasag itinerary — most boats run both in a single morning.

Notes

• Balicasag Island Marine Sanctuary is a protected area — anchor damage and coral touching are prohibited.
• Royal Garden and Rudy’s Rock are typically combined in a two-dive Balicasag day trip.
• Sea turtle sightings are frequent but not guaranteed — turtles move freely around the island.