Philippines/Cebu: Moalboal – Sardine Run
Moalboal is world famous for the sardine run (similar to South African one but without the great whites sharks. There are multiple sardine schools here and many are over a million fish strong, an absolutely incredible sight to see and experience and the swirl underneath or next to you. The shore starts shallow, slowly sleeping to the depth 2-5m and then to a sudden reef wall that goes down to 30-40m. And this is where the sardines congregate in vast numbers! The sardines in Moalboal form dense shoals that can stretch for several meters in length and width. This unique behavior is believed to be a defensive mechanism against predators, as the sheer number and coordinated movements confuse and deter potential threats from tuna or dolphins. Aside from the sardines, the Moalboal waters boast diverse marine life, including turtles that are quite easy to find slightly away from the sardine shoals.
