Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee. Resort nearby
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Last updated on February 23, 2024
If Oslob is world-known for swimming with whale shark (see report here), it is also home to decent fringing reefs. Bangcogon Reef, in particular, has easy shore access and is just a few fin-kicks from the beach. Even if the corals are pretty damaged, you can see a nice diversity of fish here, including anemonefish, surgeonfish, butterflyfish and lionfish.
Bangcogon is a small village located in Oslob, in the southeast of Cebu Island. This spot is located in front of the Bangcogon Beach Resort. You can access the beach either from the resort or by taking the small path that leads to the Island Vue restaurant (free access).
Bangcogon Reef is less than 1 mile south of the world-famous Oslob whale shark watching area.
Recommended water entrance is from the beach.
Bangcogon snorkeling location begins in front of the Bangcogon Beach Resort and extends more than 500 meters towards the south. It is protected by a line of buoys preventing boats from entering the area (see map).
From the beach, after snorkeling above 30 to 40 meters of sand and seagrass, you will reach the first coral areas. These are very damaged, with a few living corals except some colonies of soft corals in places.
Despite these coral-poor bottoms, many reef fish can be spotted in Bangcogon. The tomato clownfish, for example, is very easy to see almost everywhere, never far from its sea anemone. Also common at reef are the pink-skunk anemonefish and the Clark’s clownfish.
Also look for butterflyfish (around ten species live on the reef, see list at the bottom of the page), sweetlips, or the semi-circle angelfish.
There are several restaurants on the beach, including Island Vue and the restaurant at Bangcogon Beach Resort.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
