Sumilon Island Marine Reserve
Dive site
Established in 1974 as the first marine sanctuary in the Philippines, Sumilon Island is a living study in what happens when a reef is left alone for decades. Hard coral cover on the protected north wall exceeds 60 percent. Bumphead parrotfish schools arrive at dawn, napoleon wrasse cruise the reef edge, and the fish biomass is visibly higher than surrounding unprotected reefs. The reserve was partly opened to fishing in the 1980s, demonstrating reef collapse in real time before protection was restored.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 35 m
Advanced depths
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 20 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 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm | calm | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Bumphead parrotfish
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Napoleon wrasse
Photo: David Roche · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Leopard coral grouper
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
No sightings recorded here yet.
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Gear