Sohoton Cove and the stingless jellyfish of Bucas Grande

A long boat trip to a hidden cove entered through a low cave mouth, with lagoons of stingless jellyfish, cave pools and limestone cliffs.

Area

Siargao’s islands & lagoons

Start from

General Luna, Siargao

Distance

roughly 1.5–2 hours by boat each way

Time needed

1 long day

Best season

Roughly March – October; jellyfish numbers vary by season

Difficulty

Moderate

Transport

Motorised bangka from Siargao, then small paddle boats inside the cove

Tickets & rules

Fees at the Socorro tourism office; guides required

Why go

Sohoton Cove lies on Bucas Grande Island, south-west of Siargao, in the municipality of Socorro. It is a long trip, but it is one of the most extraordinary places in the region: a hidden cove surrounded by limestone cliffs and forest, reached through a narrow cave mouth that is only passable at certain tides.

Inside, small paddle boats take you through a maze of channels and lagoons. In one of them, at certain times of the year, thousands of golden jellyfish drift in the water, and these jellyfish have lost most of their sting, so you can swim among them. There are also cave pools, and in Hagukan Cave you can swim into a dimly lit chamber where the water glows blue.

It feels like a secret world, quiet and green, and the effort of getting there makes it more memorable.

The story

Bucas Grande and the islands around it are part of a landscape of karst limestone, eroded by rain and the sea into cliffs, caves and hidden basins. Sohoton Cove is one of these basins, a sheltered pocket of water connected to the sea only through a cave mouth that floods at high tide.

Local people long knew the cove as a place of shelter and fishing. Tourism came slowly, and the community of Socorro developed a system of guides and paddle boats to manage visitors, limiting motor engines inside the cove and requiring guides for all visitors.

The stingless jellyfish of the Tojoman lagoon are found in a few enclosed lagoons worldwide. With few predators in the closed water, they evolved to rely more on symbiotic algae than on stinging prey, so their sting is extremely weak. Their numbers rise and fall with seasons and conditions, so there is no guarantee you will see them.

Visitors are asked not to wear sunscreen or touch the jellyfish, and the community has learned that protecting this delicate system is what keeps visitors coming.

Getting there

Most trips are organised tours from General Luna, often with an early start. The boat crosses open water to Bucas Grande, roughly one and a half to two hours depending on conditions.

At Socorro, you register, pay fees and transfer to a smaller paddle boat with a local guide to enter the cove.

A suggested plan

1. 6:00Depart General Luna by boat.
2. 8:00Register at Socorro and switch to a local paddle boat.
3. 9:00Enter Sohoton Cove through the cave mouth; explore the channels.
4. 10:30Swim with stingless jellyfish if they are present.
5. 12:00Hagukan Cave swim and lunch on the boat; return in the afternoon.

Where to stay

Most people do this as a day trip from General Luna. There are basic homestays on Bucas Grande if you want to stay overnight.

Good to know

• Check with your operator whether the jellyfish are present before booking.
• Bring a dry bag; spray on the open-water crossing is common.
• Wear water shoes for cave entrances and rocky landings.
• Pack snacks and water for the long day.