Gato Island

Gato Island is a rocky marine reserve near Malapascua at the northern tip of Cebu, best known as a sanctuary for sea snakes and a haven for macro life. A tunnel pierces the small island, and the surrounding reef combines caverns, boulders and coral.

The diving mixes caverns with critters. A swim-through tunnel runs beneath the island in around 15–20 metres, often sheltering whitetip reef sharks resting on the sand. The reef and boulder slopes in 5–25 metres teem with banded sea snakes, frogfish, seahorses, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, mantis shrimp and scorpionfish, making it a favourite of macro photographers. Visibility is generally 10–20 metres over the reef.

Conditions are approachable. Most dives fall within Open Water depth limits, with the cavern swim-through adding mild overhead interest best done with a guide. Currents are usually moderate, though they can pick up around the island's points, where Advanced experience helps. The warm 27–30°C water keeps exposure protection light.

Gato is dived from Malapascua. The small island of Malapascua, itself famous for thresher-shark dives at Monad Shoal, is the base, with dive shops running day trips to Gato by boat. Accommodation is relaxed and affordable, and many divers combine Gato's critters with dawn thresher dives. Malapascua is reached by boat from Maya on Cebu's northern coast. The drier months from November to May bring the calmest conditions. Gato suits divers who enjoy macro life, sea snakes and easy cavern diving. The island doubles as a seabird sanctuary, and its protected status has helped the sea snakes below recover alongside the wildlife above.