The dive starts with a deep descent to 18m along the mooring buoy rope to the sandy slope with beautiful Staghorn corals. The airplane is approximately 7m down the slope at the wall’s edge at 20m depth. The airplane was put there as a dive attraction in 1993. The plane is completely stripped of its parts, with only the body left intact. After you visit the plane you can go or in north-east direction or south. The slope is rocky with nice corals like table corals in the shallow, big sea fans and at 20-25m Staghorn corals. Along the wall are some string corals the Delicate sea whip (Junceela fragilis). Not difficult to find is the black and white Damselfish and with luck and the alert eyes of the Spotted Eagle Ray Fusilier (Caesio cuning), Yellow Ribbon Sweetlip (Plectorhinchus polytaenia), Emperor (Centropyge bicolor and tibicen), Pufferfish (Tetraodontidae family) and Blue Finned Triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens). “
Airplane Wreck
Wreck dive
One thing Moalboal does not have in close proximity to shore is wreck diving. Diving on the plane wreck makes for a refreshing break from the excellent reef and wall dives the areas does have to offer. The plane lies on a gently sloping reef plateau near the edge of a walled drop-off. It appears to be of a fibreglass type construction and lies flat and very intact on the seabed. Perfect for photographs, the cockpit is easily accessible. Both wings are detached from the fuselage, but still lie in perfect flying position. One of the tail fins on the left side of the tail is broken away and lays two thirds of the way along the left wing. Aside from this and the missing propeller blades you can almost imagine firing up the engine, taxiing along the reef plateau and ascending to the surface before breaking through the waves into the skies above.
Airplane Wreck featured in the media
Airplane wreck Information
- District: Savedra, Moalboal
- Distance: 6km from Panagsama Beach
- Travel Time: 11min by banca boat
- GPS Coordinates: N.09° 59.872′ E.123° 22.425′
- Composition: Slope / wall
- Snorkeling: Perfect
- Experience: Advanced Open Water Course
- Visibility: 5-20m Current: 1-3 knots
- Interesting depth: 10-18m, airplane at 22m
- Marine life: Lots of different corals, spotted eagle ray, yellow ribbon sweetlips, ringtailed cardinal, majestic angelfish, mantis shrimp and squid.
