Chinese New Year Dive in Cebu: Blue Rings, Cheesecakes, and Birthday Feasts

There’s no better way to celebrate the Chinese New Year than with a dive! After a fun morning playing badminton at Poona Zone, our dive squad—Val, Cristy, Joan, Niño, Grethel, Chu, and I—set our sights on Kontiki Beach Resort. We debated between diving in Marigondon or Kontiki, but ultimately chose ease of access over adventure. Plus, we came prepared—not just with our gear but also with a cassava cake for snacks!

Pre-Dive Challenges: Patience is a Diver’s Virtue

As expected on a holiday, parking was full when we arrived at 12:30 PM, forcing us to settle for the outer lot. Then came the waiting game—Kontiki provides free drinking water, but the dispenser decided to test Cristy’s patience, barely dripping into his bottle. A little DIY maintenance, and voila! The water flowed normally again. With everything set, we geared up

Dive #1: A Wall Dive with Surprises

Despite the cloudy skies and choppy waters, we were eager to explore. At 23 meters deep, we planned a triangular route east towards the corner buoy before drifting back to JPark. However, as soon as we descended, some of our buddies decided to head straight to JPark instead of following the planned route. This led to an amusing underwater meetup as we crossed paths mid-dive.

Visibility wasn’t great (around 10 meters), but that didn’t stop us from spotting some amazing creatures:

• Two Chromodoris nudibranchs, side by side like underwater besties.

• Two massive eels (each over a meter long) hiding in the crevices near the underwater tombstone—an eerie but cool sight.

• A beautifully colored pipefish with a purple, blue, and yellow body and a fan-like tail—elusive, but mesmerizing.

• A big grouper, about two feet in length, lurking inside one of the crevices. It was a rare sight and a reminder of the thriving marine life in this protected area.

We surfaced after 1 hour and 11 minutes, hungry but happy.

Surface Interval: Birthdays, City politician, and Cheesecakes

What’s better than a dive? A dive with a feast! We celebrated Joan and Niño’s birthdays with a spread of delicious food from Alo Catering (arguably the best in Cebu). Grethel’s low-carb cheesecakes were the star of the show—soft, creamy, and even better than last time. Meanwhile, Chu finally received his NAUI technical diving certification, courtesy of Instructor Eric Alo. Big wins for the team!

After eating, Niño took the chance to check his regulator, with the help of Chu since he had his scuba repair equipment on hand. It’s always great having a team that looks out for each other, whether it's through food, laughter, or quick gear fixes.

While we were enjoying our food, we noticed an unexpected guest—a government official arriving for a night dip. It was interesting to see that even people in public service find time to explore this beach mostly known to divers. Maybe more officials should try diving—seeing marine life up close might inspire better conservation efforts!

Dive #2: A Twilight Hunt for the Rare and Mysterious

As the sun dipped below the horizon, we geared up for our past sunset dive at 5:59 PM. There’s something magical about descending into the dark, guided only by our Orcatorch torches. The underwater world transforms at night—more vibrant, mysterious, and alive.

• Cuttlefish hovered, their skin pulsing with changing colors.

• Nudibranchs—plenty of them! Bright yellow and blue beauties dotted the reef.

• And then, the highlight of the night: A BLUE RING OCTOPUS.

It was tiny (1-2 inches) but lethal, one of the most venomous creatures in the ocean. Niño spotted it first, and Joan was already snapping away when I arrived. When it was my turn, I took every possible shot—different angles, lighting—just soaking in the thrill of encountering this rare, elusive species. It had been years since I last saw one, and I couldn’t be happier.

Post-Dive Laughs and Leftovers

By 7:18 PM, we rinsed our gear, showered, and sat down to more food (because, somehow, we were still hungry). Cristy couldn’t stop teasing Val, who had skipped the Blue Ring and focused on nudibranchs instead. (Val, of all things!)

A Dive to Remember

Today's dive was a reminder that Kontiki never gets old. No matter how many times we dive here, there’s always something new to see, something rare to discover. From blue-ringed wonders to birthday cheesecakes, and even a politician night dip sighting, it was an adventure filled with laughter, good food, and unforgettable underwater moments.

Join the Adventure!

Want to be featured in our next dive blog? Book a class or fun dive with Sugbu Diver and experience the magic of Cebu’s underwater world firsthand! Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the next one to spot something extraordinary.