Panaon Island Has Awesome Dive Spots Rated As Some Of World’s Best

PANAON ISLAND

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Panaon Island is famous for its world-class dive spots and fantastic snorkeling. The dive spots on Panaon Island are some of the best in the world. The town of Liloan has some of the largest reef area in Southern Leyte. What an amazing area. The water is crystal clear. The blues are some of the deepest. This side of Panaon Island is enriched with magnificent coral formations. The Island is commonly visited by large, beautiful, dolphins. Here you will even see the largest of fish – the fantastic whale shark!

It is also an excellent location for encountering pods of dolphins during normal diving or snorkeling expeditions. These are some of the most spectacular dolphins in the Mindanao Deep. Often small boats go out among these beautiful creatures. It is not unusual for those aboard to experience the opportunity of swimming with these enchanted creatures. Read More: https://exploretraveler.com/panaon-island-southern-leyte-philippines/

Photo from: https://exploretraveler.com/panaon-island-southern-leyte-philippines/

Panaon Island is a small island in the Philippines, in the province of Southern Leyte. It lies south of Leyte, separated from Dinagat to the east, and Mindanao to the southeast by Surigao Strait. The Mindanao Sea lies to the southwest.

Panaon is about 30 km long from north to south. The largest town is Liloan, which is connected by a bridge called the ‘Wawa bridge’ to the main Leyte Island.

Panaon Island is composed of the municipalities of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan and San Ricardo. The basic forms of living are harvesting coconut, rice, fish and edible green leaves.

Scuba diving and whale watching (referred to locally as ‘Tikitiki’) are popular tourist activities. Read More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panaon_Island

Photo from: http://ph.geoview.info/panaon_island_from_the_ferry_panaon_island,67967855p

This location is so easy to pinpoint once you have reached Eastern Visayas. However, it is important to follow several points in order to avoid delays and maximize the experience when embarking on a journey to Panaon Island.

TOP ATTRACTIONS

Whale Shark-Watching

When whales pass by the island, it is a great opportunity to witness how they swim to their migration route. Since Panaon is renowned for whale sharks, it serves as a tourist attraction for local and foreign visitors. Take note that these sharks are the largest fish in the ocean. They weigh at around 40 tons each so as they pass by the island, it will be a rare occasion not to see them on any given day. If you want to get closer to the said animals, you can ask the services of a tourist guide who can provide assistance by riding on their boats. This should also be a great location to meet pods of dolphins in normal snorkeling and diving expeditions.

Drift Diving

Wa-wa Bridge Photo by: Ronald Tagra/Wikimedia Commons

One of the things that you can do while in Panaon is drift diving. According to sources, this is the main event in the channel below the Wa-wa Bridge. Nevertheless, it will not be advisable for beginners. This is only available or recommended for professional divers only. Due to the tough current that alternates within this channel, it is advised that people who wanted to swim should ask the assistance of professional divers because only they can handle such conditions.

Underwater Photography

In a not-so-distant future of Panaon Island is the location of the Tabugon Fish Sanctuary. Established in 1993, this was known as a reef sanctuary intended for marine preservation.