Masaplod Norte Sanctuary
Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily, so treat everything here as planning ranges.
One of the string of municipal no-take zones that made Dauin a conservation case study, Masaplod Norte mixes recovering coral heads, planted artificial modules, and open sand inside a few hundred buoyed meters. The protection shows in fish behavior more than drama: thick schools of snapper and rabbitfish that barely part for divers, sweetlips stacked under the structures, anemone cities at every patch, and a healthy sprinkle of muck finds, from sea moths to demon stingers, on the margins. It is an easy, warm, life-dense dive that photographs better than it briefs, and a reminder that village-level rules, enforced for decades, work.
The moment you come for: Fearless sanctuary fish schools, artificial-reef sweetlips stacks, easy profiles with muck seasoning
Topography: Coral patches and artificial structures on dark sand
Entry: Buoyed no-take sanctuary; boats tie to moorings and wardens log divers in.
Know before you splash
Hazards: Little beyond sun and the usual venomous sand residents.
Permits & rules: Municipal sanctuary fee collected per dive.
Conservation: Strict no-take sanctuary with per-diver fees; wardens enforce group limits and no-glove rules.
Who you'll meet
Nudibranchs
Clownfish & Anemonefish
Frogfish
Oriental Sweetlips
Porcupinefish
Ornate Ghost Pipefish
Lionfish
Broadclub Cuttlefish
Also recorded nearby
"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.
For photographers
Wide angle: ★★★☆☆ · Macro: ★★★★☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)