The tiny bay just in front of Tepanee has been declared by the Government of the Philippines a marine protected area: “Dakit-Dakit adjoining Marine Protected Area”.

A coral reef reconstruction project has been underway within this marine protected area since February 2020: the project is working so well that the corals are growing rapidly and the bay has been repopulated with fish, critters and blacktip reef sharks, attracting a huge number of visitors.

In October 2023, the Government also declared the sandy stretch of the adjacent shore part of the marine protected area.

Therefore, this part of the beach is not walkable and is not usable for people to gather, lie on the sand, or play: only a demarcated “sacrifice” corridor is dedicated to those who wish to access the marine protected area for snorkelling.