Balicasag Black Forest

Verified2026-09-11 checkedWallDriftReef

A black coral wall off a marine sanctuary island, with a resident school of jacks that circles divers.

Depth: 8–40 m26–131 ft
Difficulty: Intermediate
Entry: Boat
Typical current: Moderate
Coordinates: 9°31.050′N 123°41.220′E
Activities: Scuba · Freediving

Balicasag is a small island ringed by sanctuary, and the wall on its western side is dense with black coral that gives the site its name. The draw is the jack school — hundreds of big-eye trevally that form a slow tornado in the blue and often close around a diver. Turtles graze the shallow reef top on the safety stop. Visitor numbers are capped, so operators book slots in advance.

Banca boat from Panglao, Bohol; about 45 minutes.

Best season

ExcellentNov–Apr
GoodMay–Jun
GoodSep–Oct
FairJul–Aug

Before you get in

Past 30 m, where no-stop time and gas both go quickly and nitrogen narcosis starts to show.
A wall. There is no bottom in sight to judge against, so depth is kept by the gauge alone — and it is easy to end up deeper than intended.
A drift dive: you do not come back to where you went in, so boat pickup and an SMB are part of the plan rather than extras.

Taken from this site’s recorded depth, type and current, and nothing else. An empty list is not a safe site — the sea on the day, the local geography and the boat traffic are not in it. The briefing on the spot comes first.

Conditions

Water temperature: 30.3°C87°F
Wave height: 0.1 m0 ft
Air temperature: 26.3°C79°F
Wind speed: 4.7 km/h2.9 mph

Updated 2026-10-07 15:45 UTC · Source: Open-Meteo

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Conditions are reported for information only. Assess the site yourself and follow your guide and your training.

No live conditions for this site yet.

We only show numbers we can attribute to a source.

Sea state and tide

On a date

Tide · 10/7

High07:101.26 m
Low15:020.02 m
High21:220.81 m

Forecast heights against mean sea level. Real tides in a bay, a harbour or over a flat can differ — check an official tide table before you get in.

Pick a day to see its tide

Only wave height and wind are scored, because those are what close a boat ramp or a shore entry. Water temperature is reported and never scored: 12°C is an ordinary dive in a drysuit and punishing in a 3 mm, and a number that cannot see your suit has no business marking it down. Stars do not decide whether you get in — you and your guide do, on the day.

Weather data by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0)

Marine life you may see

Broadclub cuttlefishSepia latimanusRare
Leaf scorpionfishTaenianotus triacanthusRare
Banded coral shrimpStenopus hispidusRare
Crown-of-thorns starfishAcanthaster planciRare
Porcelain anemone crabNeopetrolisthes maculatusRare
Giant trevallyCaranx ignobilisCommon
Green turtleChelonia mydasCommon
Blackfin barracudaSphyraena qenieSeasonal
NudibranchNudibranchiaCommon
TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisCommon
Yellow boxfishOstracion cubicusCommon
FlatwormPseudoceros spp.Common
Decorator crabCamposcia retusaRare
Moorish idolZanclus cornutusCommon
Feather starCrinoideaCommon
Blue sea starLinckia laevigataCommon
Bluestripe snapperLutjanus kasmiraCommon
Long-spined sea urchinDiadema setosumCommon

From divers

What people who were in the water reported. Not a forecast, and not a judgement about whether the site is safe to dive.

No recent reports from divers. If you dived here in the last two weeks, you can say how it was.

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