Moalboal Turtle Cleaning Station
Dive site
A reef wall running directly off Panagsama Beach that has become famous for its resident green and hawksbill turtles. Multiple cleaning stations operate along the wall between 8 and 18 metres where cleaner wrasse pick algae and parasites from turtles that queue patiently, fins extended. Turtle density here is exceptional — a single dive regularly sees 5 to 10 individuals. The site is a shore-entry dive accessible within five minutes of Panagsama Beach.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 18 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
Tropical wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm | calm | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Green sea turtle
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Hawksbill sea turtle
Photo: Kevin Bryant · CC BY-NC-SA
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Bluestreak cleaner wrasse
Photo: Hickson Fergusson · © all rights reserved
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Sea snake
Photo: Massimiliano Finzi · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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