Fun at the Sardine Run - Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

We’ve heard that the Sardine Run in Moalboal is one of the best attractions in Cebu, Philippines. South Africa has the greatest Sardine Run in the world, and Cebu is considered the 2nd best.

The best time to visit Moalbboal for the Sardine Run is between November to May. So off we went there on April 2022. We rented a boat and it included vests and snorkeling gears. It was a sunny day, with clear skies and our boat sailed on calm waves. The saltwater air brushed gently our hairs and filled our lungs with fresh oxygen.

The boat rental package included a lunch of grilled seafood. The boat docked on this spot and had our lunch on it. Good food, nice weather! It was fun!

Then we headed off to the Sardine Run spot.

About 30 meters off the coast of Panagsama beach in Moalboal, millions of sardines make a run along an underwater cliff coming down from a shallow reef. The boatman cum-guide went down into the water with our group who are brave enough and can swim well. Others including myself just stayed in the boat and waited to view the video taken from our GoPro.

The sardines getting tightly packed in a spherical formation is their defensive means to stay safe in the ocean against predators.

But when they spread over they seem to be like racing gracefully towards the top.

The sardine run is a natural activity (no ethical debate on this) because they swim without luring them with food.

To preserve their population there is an agreement between the fishermen and the Tourism Office to catch fish only with the use of hook and line. No net fishing.

After the sardine run, we moved to see and swim with sea turtles. The boatman cum-guide said that there are also sea turtles in this area, but unfortunately, we did not see any. We decided to swim instead. The water is clear and inviting.

Then it was time to go, get a good night's sleep, and get ready for the next trip. It was truly an exciting day!

Thank you for the read!