Moalboal Sardine Run

Verified2026-09-11 checkedReefWall

A resident sardine bait ball a few fin kicks off Panagsama Beach, in water shallow enough to snorkel.

Depth: 3–25 m10–82 ft
Difficulty: Beginner
Entry: Shore · Boat
Typical current: Light
Coordinates: 9°56.640′N 123°22.980′E
Activities: Scuba · Freediving · Snorkelling

The sardine school sits along the drop-off directly off Panagsama Beach and holds position year round, which is what makes Moalboal unusual — most bait balls are seasonal. The wall starts at about 5 m and falls past 40 m, so the same entry serves snorkellers, freedivers and scuba divers. Turtles graze the shallows on the reef top. Because it is a shore entry with light current, it is one of the few world-class sites a newly certified diver can do unguided.

Three hours by road from Cebu City to Moalboal, then a short walk to Panagsama Beach.

Best season

GoodOct–May
FairJun–Sep

Before you get in

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.

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: 30.4°C87°F
Wave height: 0 m0 ft
Air temperature: 27.1°C81°F
Wind speed: 5.2 km/h3.2 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

Low01:560.67 m
High07:551.39 m
Low15:22-0.17 m
High21:500.99 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

SardineSardinella lemuruCommon
Green turtleChelonia mydasCommon
Giant trevallyCaranx ignobilisSeasonal
FrogfishAntennarius spp.Rare
Banded sea kraitLaticauda colubrinaCommon
TrumpetfishAulostomus chinensisCommon
PorcupinefishDiodon hystrixRare
Moorish idolZanclus cornutusCommon
Blue sea starLinckia laevigataCommon
Common octopusOctopus vulgarisRare

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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