Hillary's Reef - Bohol
Hillary's Reef, tucked away in Bohol, offers a pleasant, easy dive. It’s a good spot for a relaxed afternoon, especially if you’re looking to unwind without battling strong currents. We often find cowries slowly making their way across the sand patches here, and the staghorn corals provide plenty of shelter for smaller reef fish. Keep an eye out for the strawberry drupes too, their shells are quite striking against the seagrass beds of *thalassia* and *cymodocea*. It’s not an adrenaline-pumping dive, but it's a calm introduction to Bohol's shallower ecosystems, perfect for photographers or those just getting their fins wet again.
- Location
- Bohol, Philippines, Southeast Asia
- Coordinates
- 9.873185, 122.381195
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Ilog, Negros Occidental
Best Time to Dive in Bohol
The warmest water temperatures in Bohol occur in May, averaging 30.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.6°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.9°C
- February: 27.6°C
- March: 28.3°C
- April: 29.3°C
- May: 30.2°C
- June: 30.2°C
- July: 29.8°C
- August: 29.6°C
- September: 29.7°C
- October: 29.6°C
- November: 29.3°C
- December: 28.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Bohol
- Acro Point
- Alcoy sanctuary (reef)
- Andres Reef (reef)
- Aquarium - 19m
- BALABAGON - 24m
- Baluarte
- Black Forest
- Black Forest Entry Point
- Black Forest Exit Point
- Bonifacio Reef (reef)
- Caceres North - 16m
- Caceres South - 17m
- Cambakis Point
- Cars dive (wreck)
- Cars Dive (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Hillary's Reef
Marine Life in Bohol
Home to 148 recorded species including 140 reef fish, 4 seagrass & algae, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 sharks & rays, 1 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Scarlet wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Thalassoma lunare) - Reef Fish
- Bristle-toothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus striatus) - Reef Fish
- Banded Toby (Canthigaster valentini) - Reef Fish
- Angel abu polos (Centropyge vrolikii) - Reef Fish
- Comettailed wrasse (Oxycheilinus bimaculatus) - Reef Fish
- Six-line wrasse (Pseudocheilinus hexataenia) - Reef Fish
- Blackspine Unicornfish (Naso minor) - Reef Fish
- Two-spot Bristletooth (Ctenochaetus binotatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-scaled wrasse (Cirrhilabrus cyanopleura) - Reef Fish
- Barred Unicornfish (Naso thynnoides) - Reef Fish
- Blue-lined Tang (Zebrasoma scopas) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma hardwicke) - Reef Fish
- Sleek Unicornfish (Naso hexacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Blenny (Istiblennius dussumieri) - Reef Fish
- Bloodspot pipefish (Corythoichthys haematopterus) - Reef Fish
- Clark's anemonefish (Amphiprion clarkii) - Reef Fish
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Blue-ribbon wrasse (Stethojulis trilineata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Hillary's Reef
Based on average water temperature of 29.2°C, currents 5 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories