Tornado of Barracuda in Bohol 🐟 Ambalea Dive Shop Review | Amazing Dive, Chaotic Group 😬

Diving with Ambalea Dive Shop in Alona Beach, Bohol on Dec 31, 2025 gave us one of the most incredible underwater experiences we’ve had in the Philippines… and one of the most frustrating topside experiences. The dive itself was AMAZING: 🐟 A massive tornado of barracuda 🐢 Sea turtles cruising by 🐍 Eels tucked into the reef 🌊 Crystal clear water and beautiful coral 🍱 Great food on the boat ✔️ Solid, working equipment (finally!) ✔️ More communicative and organized staff than some other shops we tried But the guest group we were paired with made things challenging. There was a large group with a translator who had no dive etiquette and created safety and environmental concerns: 🚭 Chain smoking on the boat 🤿 Ditching their buddies and cutting in front of other divers 🪸 Kicking and standing on the reef ⬆️ Rapid ascents and descents 💨 Burning through air quickly and swimming erratically ⚖️ Weight confusion that led to them trying to take weights from other divers It made filming difficult and at times felt unsafe to be near them underwater. This is one of the realities of diving abroad you can’t always control who is in your group, and that can make or break the experience. Overall: The location and marine life were world class The dive shop staff were good and the gear worked But we’ll be more cautious about group composition before booking again In this video we show the boat ride, dive shop process, and the underwater highlights so you can decide if Ambalea is right for your Bohol diving trip. Subscribe for honest dive reviews, digital nomad life, and real underwater adventures around the world.