Tabogon Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Tabogon’s turtle sanctuary is a small, community-run conservation effort on Cebu’s northern mainland coast, part of a shoreline where green and hawksbill turtles nest and forage. Sites like this typically run on the model used up and down this coast: local fisherfolk turned Bantay Dagat volunteers patrol nesting beaches and run a rescue-and-release program, funded largely by the entrance donations and guided-snorkel fees visitors pay.

It’s a modest setup rather than a marine park — expect a viewing area and a briefing before getting in the water, not an aquarium. Snorkeling out from the sanctuary reaches the reef where turtles are most often seen, though sightings depend on the day and tide.

• Learn how the rescue-and-rehabilitation program works from the volunteers who run it, most of them local fishermen.
• Snorkel the adjacent reef for a chance at seeing turtles in open water, not behind glass.
• Entrance and guide fees fund the conservation program directly.

Explore More in North Cebu Mainland

• Nailon Beach
• North Beach Malapascua
• Funtastic Island