Tonga South, Moalboal: Wall Dive With Ghost Pipefish

Austin Tuwiner
PADI Divemaster · 500+ dives · 20 countries & states
November 6, 2026
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In September of 2026, I dove Tonga South with Dive Amigos, by boat out of Moalboal, Philippines.

It was the third dive of the day, after Pescador Island and the famous sardine run.

Dive Log · Moalboal, Philippines

Tonga South

Dive Score4.6 / 5
Dive Data from my Garmin Descent MK3i
Max Depth
91ft / 27.7m
Avg Depth
45ft / 13.7m
Dive Time
52min
Water Temp
84.2°F / 29°C
Visibility
90ft / 27m
Entry
Boat
Recommended Certification
Advanced
Why it scored 4.6Tied #6 of 20 I've dived in Philippines
My take: A great wall dive to finish a day that started with Pescador Island and the sardine run. Steep wall, lots of color.
My satisfaction4/5
Marine life5/5
Reef or wreck5/5
Conditions5/5
Crowds5/5
Getting there4/5
My 6 ratings above, plus visibility, water temp, cost, season and ease from the dive data. 5 = calm, uncrowded and easy to reach. How the Dive Score works
Reef Asia Coordinates: 9.936712, 123.371648

The Dive

The Dive Amigos boat at the surface off Tonga South, Moalboal
Giant stride off Dive Amigos boat on top of the dive site.
The wall at Tonga South dropping into blue water, Moalboal
Diving along the edge of the cliff.
Garmin dive computer reading 56 ft and 85.5 degrees at Tonga South, Moalboal
Descending along the wall.
Garmin dive computer reading 88 ft at Tonga South, Moalboal
Getting deeper!
Descending along the wall at Tonga South, Moalboal
I logged 91 ft (27.7 m) at the deepest, with an average of 45 ft (13.7 m) across 52 minutes.

The wall is part of the Tañon Strait, the channel between Cebu and Negros, which bottoms out around 1,640 ft (500 m).

The rock itself is old coral reef that was lifted up out of the sea, which is what the whole Moalboal coastline is built out of.

Visibility was 90 ft (27 m), and you can see a long way down the face.

Coming after Pescador and the sardines, this was the quietest of the three tanks and the one with the most structure to it.

What Marine Life I Saw

Butterflyfish on the dark wall face at Tonga South, Moalboal
Two butterflyfish and a royal angelfish.
Spotted nudibranch on the colourful wall at Tonga South, Moalboal
First time seeing this nudibranch.
Banded sea snake crossing the rubble at Tonga South, Moalboal
Two banded pipefish.
Fish at a cave opening in the wall at Tonga South, Moalboal
Cool looking blenny hovering off the reef.
Green turtle resting on the reef at Tonga South, Moalboal
We saw lots of turtles resting on the wall.
Yellow crinoids on the reef at Tonga South, Moalboal
So many yellow ornate ghost pipefish. This time there was two, one being much smaller!
Green turtle under an overhang at Tonga South, Moalboal
Green turtle on the reef in blue water at Tonga South, Moalboal
Looks like a comfortable spot to rest.
A field of anemone tentacles at Tonga South, Moalboal
Anemone drifting in the wind.
Long thin animal standing off the reef at Tonga South, Moalboal
Sea cucumber reaching up to the surface.
Ornate ghost pipefish among yellow crinoids at Tonga South, Moalboal
More pipefish.
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Conditions & Logistics

For most of the dive, we faced the reef wall, but occasionally if you looked down or out into the blue you could see some cool things.

Working down the wall face at Tonga South, Moalboal
Along the wall at Tonga South, Moalboal
Visibility was 90 ft (27 m) on my dive and the water was 84.2°F (29°C).
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Austin Tuwiner

Hey I'm Austin, a PADI Divemaster based in South Florida .

I initially got certified at 16 at a scuba camp in Kona, Hawaii, did my Advanced Open Water on Koh Tao, my deep and nitrox on Gili Trawangan, and my Rescue and Divemaster in Miami.

Since then I've logged 500+ dives across 20 countries and states. I write about the gear I dive with, the sites I've dived, and the trips I've taken.

Hear Austin's Story

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