Sardine Run Moalboal: Is This The Best Place To Snorkel In The Philippines? Cebu 2024
The Sardine Run is a famous gathering of millions of sardines just 10m from the shore on Panagsama beach. What makes it so special is that there is only one other place in the world where you can see this phenomenon, therefore this is one not to miss on your trip to Cebu.
Not only will you experience the sardines but you can swim close up to turtles, surely we’ve sold you this place already! I haven’t snorkelled before but Mike did mention this was some of the healthiest coral he’s seen. Will it stay that way though? We’re unsure as the tourism in this area is booming and you can already see damage starting to happen, therefore if you visit please be mindful and try not to step on the coral.
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What Is The Moalboal Sardine Run?
The Sardine Run is a natural phenomenon where millions of sardines gather near the surface to feed on Plankton and stay safe from larger predators, forming a huge bait ball of fish in the process. The Sardine Run on the island of Cebu is the second largest in the world following South Africa and best bit, is that you can access it right from the beachfront, just a stones throw away from the shore is a huge drop-off, perfect for the gathering of Sardines. Whether you dive, snorkel or just swim its truly a once in a lifetime experience to witness.
When Can You See The Sardine Run?
The Sardine Run happens all year round. During the wet season (June - November) sardines migrate to Moalboal, so this is a great time. Do not worry though as we went in the dry season (December - May) and still saw lots of sardines and wildlife. Sometimes it’s even better to go in the dry season as you won’t be at risk of a dangerous typhoon.
The best time to go is in the morning when the fish are most active and the tours haven't started yet, but we saw them all throughout the day. If you want to miss the crowds head out early on a weekday.
Where Is Panagsama Beach And The Sardine Run?
You can find the beach and snorkelling on the island of Cebu in the town of Moalboal which is south of the island. The best snorkelling place is located at the end of Panagsama road on Panagsama Beach.
How To Get To The Sardine Run In Moalboal?
Public Transport - Bus
Moalboal is easy to get to from Cebu City, you take a bus from the south terminal (they leave every 30 minutes) and the journey will take roughly 3 hours. They have both aircon and open air options, the latter is primarily used by locals and comes at a cheaper price, we recommend the aircon bus which is still reasonably priced.
You can also book a day trip to Moalboal from the city however that comes at a cost due to the same day transfer fees, as well as guides and food. In our opinion, you need more than one day here - plus it’s great to stay in the town.
How To Get Around Moalboal?
When you’re in Moalboal the beach is located at the end of Panagsama road. You can easily catch a tricycle if your hostel is further away or if you're near the sea you can walk to the front. The beach isn’t the most beautiful but you can find diving schools along the front and some have seating and a café looking out into the sea. We can recommend June Dive school as this is where we rented flippers.
How To Snorkel At Moalboal’s Sardine Run?
You can get a tour which means you will have a guide to point out sea life and help with the all important photo but if you’re on a budget like us you can do it for free (or just by hiring snorkel if it don’t own any). Book a Tour here!
DIY
We travel with our snorkelling masks but you can hire a mask for ₽100 down by the beach. We also recommend renting flippers at least once as these will help you dive down an immerse yourself within the sardines. The flippers cost us ₽150 each which is roughly £2.
What Will You See At The Moalboal Sardine Run?
We went snorkelling three times while we stayed in Moalboal. We were lucky enough to see a handful of majestic turtles. They swam so close to use we could see the ornate detail of their shells which is something we'll never forget. Please remember DO NOT touch the turtles, you are in their habitat so be respectful. As well as these you can also find an abundance of other species and corals however the Sardines & Turtles are the stars of the show here.
Is The Moalboal Sardine Run Ethical?
In terms of seeing the Sardines, they are not fed and are naturally here. Only locals are allowed to line fish by hand , there is no net fishing allowed. When you enter the beach there is a sign asking you to pay an environmental fee for going on the beach or snorkelling. This wasn’t enforced and it wasn’t clear whether you had to pay or where the money was going.
One thing I’m going to say is we stayed away from tours. The groups are large and often include people who can’t swim. They had to wear life jackets and were pulled along in a rubber ring by a guide. They did sometimes get in the way. One shocking thing did see was a TOUR GUIDE touch a turtle with a white stick, it looked like he was taunting it to get a good photo so we were very glad we didn’t book a tour!
Why Is Panagsama Beach Good For Snorkelling?
Just 10m out the rock drops away leaving the perfect snorkelling area. The big drop off attracts lots of different sea life. Being so close to shore makes it a prime place to snorkel.
What Should I Take To The Moalboal Sardine Run?
What Else Is There At Panagsama Beach?
Moalboal is a great hub, there’s so much more to do than just snorkel such as Kawasan falls and Osmena peak. But for me, the snorkelling is a highlight.
Along the front you will find a row of beach resorts, dive schools and restaurants. You will be able to book other day tour on the island of Cebu here and if you wish learn to dive.
Just a short drive away is the famous white beach. This is 100 meters if sandy coastline which draw tourist from all around. We decided to skip white beach and instead focus on snorkelling. We had heard some bad things when we were there about the state of the beach and the rubbish. We would love to know if you visited white beach and what you experience was like.
What’s Nearby Panagsama Beach?
Other activities to do near Moalboal include:
By far our favourite activity on the island of Cebu was the canyoneering. Although not cheap, it has to be one of the best places in the world for it! Climbing and clambering over rocks, down waterfalls and 10 metre jumps! This isn't for the feint hearted but a true bucket list experience for the adventure seekers.
If you're into a more tame experience then you can go straight to the Kawasan falls alone without all the hard work!
Osmena Peak & Casino Peak
If you can handle the heat, then checkout these 20-30 minute hikes up the peaks of Cebu not far from Kawasan Falls. They display the beautiful surroundings of the Canyon and allows you to see the Rainforest from above.
Waterfalls
After all the hard work, cool off in some of Cebu's finest waterfalls. If you're staying in Panagsama Beach Moalboal, these might be a little far however tours do run.
Dao Falls
Tumalog Falls
Basdaku White beach
If all the adventuring and exploring isn't your thing then chill out at White Beach for sunset. Panagsama Beach isn't named very well as there's not much of a beach however White Beach has beautiful blue water and white sand.
Best Places To Stay In Moalboal
Moalboal has lots of accommodation to choose from, whether you’re looking for a dive school, a luxury resort or a budget hostel you’ll be able to find somewhere. We recommend staying close to Panagsama Beach or on Panagsama Road, this is where most of the restaurants are located as well as easy access to most of the island's attractions.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for Moalboal, Cebu:
Top Things To Do In Moalboal
We stayed 4 nights in Moalboal, this is enough time to visit the famous Kawasan Falls, see the Sardine Run and explore the coast. If you would like to head down to the South of Cebu to visit the islands waterfalls we would recommend staying a little longer. Here’s our highlights.
Top Pick: Kawasan Canyoneering
Jump from 10m and swim through a jungle canyon to the famous Kawasan Falls with its turquoise blue waters. Try and get an early spot to avoid the crowds.
Best Beach: Panagsama Beach
Although not a white sandy beach you can experience the sardine run, one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with so many fish off-shore, plus you can see turtles!
Other Things To Do On Cebu
Essential Travel Items You Need
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Water Shoes - Lightweight with Protection Stay protected from Sea Urchins with these, also useful for snorkelling, waterfall hikes and more. We also love our Microfibre Towels and Dry Bag. |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
Bring a Lifestraw - allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! We also love our Water Shoes, Microfibre Towels & Eye Mask for travel days
Bring Mosquito Repellent with a high Deet percentage
Embrace the chaos and get stuck in the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
For a checklist of what's needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
We love our DJI Mini for all of our drone shots!
Final Thoughts on The Sardine Run Moalboal
Overall, we think the Sardine Run Moalboal is a must see! Although mid-day can be quite busy with all of the pre-booked tours we recommend grabbing your own snorkel, fins and GoPro and heading off away from the crowds. It's so rewarding seeing such amazing wildlife right on the edge of the shore - a truly once in a lifetime experience!
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Philippine adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
For our Filipino friends: Maraming salamat sa pag babasa, hangang sa susunod nating pag kikita, mamimiss namin kayo, mabuhay ang pilipinas! Salamat
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