Snorkeling Moalboal Reef

Snorkeling Moalboal Reef in Cebu Snorkeling along the reef in front of the dive shops in Moalboal is not a common activity. Most tourists are here for a week or two and want to do some intensive diving. If your finances are tight, keep in mind that you can go through a lot of money in short order if you dive 3 times a day. My neighbor, Martin, suggested that we do a bit of snorkeling instead so we went out the the reef in front of Pacitas Disco. We enjoyed a 2 hour session just floating along the drop off and taking some pictures in the shallow water. I have a Cannon Sureshot camera in a watertight plastic case, have a lot of fun with it, and have been satisfied with the results. I got carried away with the photo shop but these pics are just to give an idea of what's down there. At this time I am just experimenting with different light situations and trying get comfortable in the water with the camera before stepping it up a notch. One thing that I noticed is that the fish don't just sit out there in the open so you can take their picture. They tend to run for cover when you show interest in them. They have a legitimate fear about being turned into a fillet-o-fish sandwich, so I decided to start using starfish for subjects. If you are traveling in the Philippines on a budget, one of the key things to do is find lodging at a reasonable cost. Cora's place has the only cheap short term lodging along the shore in Panagsama that I am aware of and you could snorkel right in front of her place too. Check the page about her place further down. I have stayed there in one of the rooms right on the water, so close to the waves that you had to shut the window on stormy days http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/cebu/page-6.html Those rooms are 600 pesos a night but the ones just behind them are only 400 pesos per night If you are up to it, give the snorkeling a go and tell me what you think! Just remember to take a look and see what's going on above the water every once in a while so you can stay clear on incoming dive boats and fishermen. For swimming off a sandy beach try White Beach about 5 kilometers from Panagsama. The snorkeling there is not very good but the swimming is great. If you are looking for the most inexpensive dive shop, Nelson's might be the answer. Their divers get in the boat right in front of Cora's-  (pic to the right) - Nelson is one of the first dive operators in Panagsama. 2008   www.dutchpickle.com

 

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