Black Forest

Black Forest near White Island

This guide concerns the Black Forest associated with White Island, off Camiguin. Balai sa Baibai lists it alongside Kilambing, Kilambing South and Old Sanctuary as part of the surrounding reef. A July 2019 account by Adrenaline Romance also places its Black Forest dive on a sandy slope extending from White Island. Specify White Island when discussing a trip: descriptions of Jicdup Black Forest concern a different named area and should not be combined with this guide simply because the names overlap.

Reef habitat and the name

Balai sa Baibai describes hard and soft coral habitats across the White Island reefs. Its Black Forest passage reports schools of snappers, mackerel, fusiliers and sweetlips, associated with stronger currents. These are operator descriptions rather than recent encounter records, and they do not establish how often any animal appears on a particular route.

The 2019 Adrenaline Romance trip report describes black feather stars, also called crinoids, as a conspicuous feature of the dive. Its authors did not report seeing black corals in the shallower section they visited. By contrast, Liquid Diving Adventures describes a black-coral garden under its White Island–Black Forest heading. These accounts should be read with their different dates, routes and observation limits in mind. Neither establishes the present distribution of black coral throughout the reef, and the site name alone is not evidence that a visitor will see it.

Depth figures need route context

Balai sa Baibai gives a range of 4–25 metres for the White Island reefs as a group, not an independently measured range for Black Forest alone. Liquid Diving Adventures gives 6–25 metres for its specifically named White Island–Black Forest slope. Scubago’s separate White Island entry reports the same range, although shared wording is not proof of independent measurement. A depth reached during one trip also does not establish the shallowest or deepest point of the site. Ask the operator which section is planned and what depth is appropriate for your training and recent experience; the published figures should not be treated as a personal dive plan.

Current and departure arrangements

The operator account specifically warns of stronger currents at Black Forest, while Liquid Diving Adventures describes occasional current and drift diving. Conditions and route selection therefore matter when deciding whether a departure suits your experience. The 2019 visitors reached the site by boat, but their recorded journey time is historical and specific to that departure. Confirm the current meeting point, boat arrangements and any access or conservation fees directly with the operator.

What remains to be checked

This partial guide does not establish current visibility, measured water-temperature extremes, a universal certification requirement or a site-specific best season. The existing map point has not been moved or independently verified by this review. Dated local observations that clarify the reef section, conditions and distinguishing landmarks can help improve the record through the correction link.