Masaplod North

Masaplod North's sand and coral

Masaplod North, also written Masaplod Norte by local operators, combines a small reef with the surrounding sandy slope. Bongo Bongo's dedicated North page describes both reef life and muck-diving subjects within the outing. La Tortue also names Masaplod Norte and describes a sanctuary route mixing sand and coral. These named entries support this North guide without merging it with Masaplod South.

What operators report seeing

Bongo Bongo describes schools of snappers and jacks over the reef, with nudibranchs, pipefish and frogfish among the sand and coral. Its account also mentions morays, blue-spotted stingrays and banded sea snakes. La Tortue reports reef fish, morays, snappers and frogfish in its North entry. These are operator reports of possible subjects, not a measured species inventory or a guarantee for a particular dive.

The contrast between the reef and nearby sand is the useful distinction when choosing this site. Tell the operator whether you prefer watching fish over the coral or spending more time looking for smaller animals along the slope. The sources describe both settings, but do not provide a fixed route that every guide follows.

How to read the depth figures

La Tortue publishes a 3–25 m range for its named North outing and recommends it for all levels. Bongo Bongo's North page lists a 22 m maximum. Those are operator descriptions with potentially different route coverage; they do not establish a surveyed whole-site boundary, an average depth or a universal qualification requirement. Ask how deep the particular outing is planned to go.

Keep North distinct from unsuffixed reports

Dauin Diving Center also publishes a Masaplod entry, but the reviewed page does not identify it as North. Its figures are therefore not transferred here or treated as conflicting North measurements. Confirm the northern section when arranging a trip, and keep Masaplod South as a separate choice.

Entry arrangements, current conditions, seasonal measurements and wildlife encounter frequencies still need local confirmation. This guide adds the named North accounts while retaining the existing unknowns; it does not restore earlier unsupported depth averages or turn an operator's broad experience recommendation into a current assessment of individual suitability.

Sources reviewed on 5 October 2026: Bongo Bongo Divers and La Tortue Diving Center; the DDC page is retained only for the naming limitation. No local-diver verification is claimed.

A historical account of the northern reef

Writing in DIVER in May 2021, instructor Jonathan Anderson explicitly identifies his dive as Masaplod Norte. He describes a shallow seagrass bed leading into sand, followed by a sloping coral reef and a separate coral patch. His account places small reef fish above table corals and describes snappers, sweepers and cardinalfish around the isolated patch. This gives a more detailed picture of the habitat sequence than a simple reef-or-muck label. It remains a historical dive account: it does not establish the condition of those habitats today or a route that every operator follows.