Hilutungan Island is one of the best places for beginners in diving and snorkeling. It is a marine life protected area that offers a vibrant sea life and a very good diving spot for all scuba divers. With the conservation efforts of the people, you can observe or experience one of the best collection of marine species in Cebu. Although it is a protected area, the local government allow tourism in this area. This island is open to snorkelers and divers who wish to experience the beauty of the sea world in this tropical part.
The island is also a well-known island hopping and tour destination where people enjoy chilling on their local bangka boat or pump boat and snorkeling around its shallow tropical waters swimming across fishes of different kinds and colors. Staying on the boat is another way to best enjoy the Hilutungan Island Marine Sanctuary. Because the water is not deep and very clear, you will enjoy watching all sorts of marine animals, such as the giants clams, sea turtles, sea urchins, corals, fishes, octopus, crabs and everything else under the water.
If you are a diver who enjoys underwater photography, Hilutungan marine sanctuary is an excellent spot for capturing photos of colorful and vibrant ocean floor on top of its biodiversity. You will certainly get great photos or films at Hilutungan Marine Sanctuary’s world. Among the thousands of fish, you can get great photos of damselfish, anemone fish (nemo), parrot fish, batfish, ghost pipe fish and many others.
Snorkeling in the island is another excellent experience that you have to try out here. With so many colorful fish around you would surely soak under the water for so long. Fishes are shy and the best way to attract them is by feeding them with something to eat like bread, etc. so don’t be so overwhelmed when they start flocking around you and remember not to threaten them by trying to catch any of them.
There are numerous dive shops and tour operators that regularly offer services and facilities that will bring to this marine sanctuary. To help maintain and preserve the area, an administrative expenses is required to all visitors and tourists to enter here. As a fish sanctuary where guests can enjoy swimming with the inhabitants of the deep. Entrance fee to the island is is required for ₱100/pax. Scuba divers will have to shell out 300-peso more to explore the marine communities down below its fluvial domain.
You need to hire a boat that provides regular service here. You can hire pumpboats to get to this island. Since you will be riding above the waters in between islands and islets, you will certainly enjoy your ride, so you can just sit back and enjoy the scenery and realize in no time that you are already there. These boats can be hired from individual boat operators who operates guided tours for marine sanctuaries. Another choice is that you can have this marine sanctuary tour via your own resort or hotel provider. Among various ways in getting to the Hilutungan marine sanctuary, most tourism providers can be found in Maribago area on Mactan Island.