Blue Hole, Punta Gorda, San Agustin, Tablas Β· 둬λΈλ‘ νλΈλΌμ€μ¬
Location
Overview
The only documented blue hole in the Philippines sits off Gorda Point at the northeastern tip of Tablas Island, directly below the old Gorda Point Lighthouse in Barangay Cawayan, San Agustin. A vertical chimney roughly 6β8 m across opens in a reef only 5β8 m below the surface and drops straight to a sand floor at about 22β30 m depending on tide, where a lateral opening and short tunnel lead back out to the reef wall. White sand throws the light back up the shaft, so the hole glows electric blue from the boat β and that rare walled, genuinely vertical profile is what turns freedivers into pilgrims here. Water runs 26β29Β°C year-round with 15β30 m visibility (over 20 m in the MarchβMay window), and as of 2026 the site is still unmapped on Google Maps and reachable only by local boat.
Highlights
The chimney mouth seen from the surface β a dark blue puncture in an otherwise shallow reef, at its most saturated when the sun is high around midday
The descent itself: a 6β8 m wide shaft with walls on every side, giving a sense of depth that almost no other Philippine freedive site offers
The lateral opening and short tunnel near the bottom (roughly 27β32 m) where the reef light backlights anyone silhouetted in the gap β spectacular to look at, a separate decision to swim through
Gorda Point Lighthouse, dating to the 1930s, marking the site from the surface and anchoring the land route down (a staircase of roughly 320 steps)
The surrounding reef, where whitetip reef sharks, schooling barracuda and turtles share a boat day with Romblon's famous macro life β nudibranchs, frogfish and the rest
Good to know
SafetyThe lower chamber and the tunnel out to the reef are an overhead environment. In freediving, overhead means a blackout cannot end at the surface β it ends in a fatality. Do not attempt the through-swim without a local guide who knows the geometry, an explicit entry and exit plan, and a comfortable time margin. If anything about the day feels marginal, work the upper chimney and leave the tunnel alone.
SafetyNever dive alone here. Keep strict one-up-one-down discipline, with a safety diver meeting the diver for at least the final 10 m and watching them for 30 seconds after they surface. Use a downline and lanyard, and keep counterballast rigged on the boat. Shallow water blackout and LMC overwhelmingly happen in the last 10 m of ascent and in the seconds after surfacing, not on the bottom.
SafetyLight drops off fast inside the shaft and the walls remove your visual references, so disorientation and misjudged depth are real risks. Do not freefall without a line, and do not use this site to chase a personal best. Outside the chimney, current can run on the reef and fishing and tour boats transit the area, so a surface buoy is mandatory.
SafetyThere is no recompression chamber and no specialist emergency medicine in Romblon. The nearest chamber is in Manila β 12-plus hours by ferry and road unless you can charter a flight. Carry insurance that explicitly covers freediving and includes evacuation (DAN, DiveAssure or equivalent), and save the Philippine PCSSD 24-hour diving emergency hotline before you travel.
SeasonMarch through May gives the calmest Sibuyan Sea and the best clarity. July to September is typhoon season with reduced visibility and trips that vanish entirely; November to February brings northeast monsoon swell. Even in season, operators cancel on days when swell or current builds, so build at least one spare day into the itinerary.
RulesLocal operators treat this as an advanced site and commonly ask for something equivalent to Molchanovs Wave 1 or above plus the ability to dive comfortably to around 20 m. Because the site is unmapped, there is effectively no access without a qualified local boat and guide. Entry requirements, operating status and pricing vary by operator β confirm current details directly when booking.
MannersThe shaft walls are collapsed limestone and coral that break easily under a fin or a steadying hand. Control your buoyancy and kick, stay off the walls, and never chase or corral sharks and turtles. The surrounding water is a working fishing ground for the nearby barangay, so keep boats clear of set lines and carry every piece of trash back out.
Practical info
Reach Tablas Island by roughly one-hour turboprop from Manila to Tugdan Airport (TBH) β service has run about four times weekly but airline schedules here change often β or by Starlite ferry from Batangas Port, around nine hours. From Romblon town or the Alad side it is a 20β30 minute speedboat ride, usually sold as part of an island-hopping fundive day with operators such as Romblon Freediving. Flight and ferry schedules, tour availability, pricing and certification requirements all shift with season and weather, so verify current details with the operator at the time of booking.
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