Sunken Cemetery

Volcanic-sunken graveyard now a dive and snorkel site

In 1871 a volcanic eruption caused a coastal cemetery near Catarman to sink beneath the sea. A large white cross erected in 1982 now marks the site above water. At low tide coral-encrusted tombstones are visible about six metres down, and the site is one of Camiguin's most popular dive spots — the combination of marine life and submerged headstones is genuinely eerie.

Snorkellers can see the upper graves; scuba divers descend to the deeper sections where the most intact structures remain. The reef that has grown over the cemetery is rich, and the juxtaposition of bright coral fish weaving through carved stone crosses gives the site an atmosphere unlike any other dive in the Philippines. Bancas from nearby resorts make the short crossing; the site is marked by a surface buoy.

things to do landmark
A story
In 1871, a series of eruptions from Catarman volcano caused the coastline near the town of Catarman to subside. An entire cemetery slid into the sea, taking its headstones, its boundary walls, and the last resting places of hundreds of people down with it. The white cross erected in 1982 to mark the site is now the most photographed object in Camiguin — a single vertical form rising from flat water, everything beneath it invisible to any passing boat.