Philippines

Diving in Malapascua

28 sites88 species26–30 °C10–30 m vis

Photo: Zir YU / Pexels

Malapascua is the world's most reliable destination for thresher shark encounters. This tiny 3 km² island in the Visayan Sea offers year-round diving at Kimud Shoal, where pelagic thresher sharks visit daily cleaning stations at dawn — the only place on Earth where you're virtually guaranteed to see them on every dive. Beyond the sharks, Gato Island's sea tunnel, the Dona Marilyn wreck, mandarin fish night dives at Lighthouse, and 30+ dive sites ranging from macro muck diving to deep offshore pinnacles make this one of the Philippines' most complete dive destinations.

Malapascua is the ONLY place in the world where thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) are seen on virtually every dive, every day of the year — a daily dawn commute from deep water to Kimud Shoal's cleaning station.Thresher sharks use their tails as weapons, whipping them at schools of fish to stun prey — a tail that can be as long as their entire body.At just 3 km² and rising only 5 meters above sea level, Malapascua is smaller than many city parks yet hosts roughly 40 dive shops — the highest density of dive operators per kilometer in the DivePass pipeline.Tiger sharks displaced thresher sharks at Monad Shoal around 2020 — the threshers simply moved 2 km south to Kimud Shoal and now divers can see both species on different shoals.The Dona Marilyn, a 70-meter passenger ferry that sank during Typhoon Unsang in 1988, now sits upright on the sandy bottom and is one of the Visayas' finest accessible wreck dives.Gato Island's 100-meter sea tunnel cuts completely through the limestone islet — divers can swim through from one side to the other past resting whitetip reef sharks and hunting banded sea snakes.The mandarin fish (Synchiropus splendidus) mating ritual at Lighthouse happens every evening at sunset and lasts only 30-60 seconds — one of underwater photography's most coveted shots.

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Places on this map (37)

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Conditions

Water temp

26–30 °C

Visibility

10–30 m

Depth

3–35 m

Current

Moderate

Best season

December through May (NE monsoon — calmest seas, peak visibility 20-30m, thresher sharks most reliable)

Month	Summary
Jan	Cool water (26°C) and good visibility (15-25m) under the northeast monsoon. Thresher shark encounters remain reliable at Kimud Shoal; Gato Island tunnel dives excellent. Fewer crowds than peak months.
Feb	Similar to January — cool water (26°C), NE monsoon conditions prevail. Visibility 15-25m. Thresher sharks consistent at dawn; macro life abundant at Lighthouse and Bantigue. Good month for photography.
Mar	Warming trend begins — water 27-28°C, visibility improving to 20-30m. Start of peak season. Thresher sharks, tiger sharks at Monad, and scalloped hammerheads possible. Calmest seas of the year approaching.
Apr	Peak conditions — 28-29°C water, 20-35m visibility, calm seas. Best month for thresher shark photography with optimal light. Hammerheads still present at Monad. Mandarin fish mating at its most reliable.
May	Warmest month (29-30°C) with peak visibility 20-35m. Thresher sharks highly reliable; manta ray sightings increase at Kimud. Last month before monsoon transition. Book well ahead — busiest month.
Jun	Southwest monsoon onset brings warmer surface water (28-30°C) but reduced visibility (10-20m). Thresher sharks still present at Kimud. Fewer divers, better deals. Some days may be cancelled due to weather.
Jul	SW monsoon in full effect — 28-29°C water, visibility 10-20m. Occasional typhoon risk. Thresher sharks still daily at Kimud; macro diving at its richest with calm inshore waters. Low season prices.
Aug	Continued SW monsoon — 28-29°C, 10-20m visibility. Thresher sharks consistent at dawn. Mandarin fish mating ritual continues reliably at sunset. Quietest month for tourism — maximum solitude on dive sites.
Sep	Late SW monsoon — 28-29°C, visibility 10-20m. Thresher sharks remain reliable. Dona Marilyn wreck dives excellent in current conditions. Macro life peaks at Bantigue and Lighthouse. Last weeks of low-season pricing.
Oct	Transition month between monsoons — 27-29°C water, variable visibility 10-15m. Seas can be rougher with less predictable conditions. Thresher sharks still present but some days may be blown out. Good deals available.
Nov	NE monsoon begins — 27-28°C water, visibility improving to 10-15m. Thresher sharks consistent; conditions stabilizing toward peak season. Good month for those seeking moderate crowds with improving conditions.
Dec	NE monsoon established — 26-27°C water, visibility 15-25m. Thresher sharks, tiger sharks, and hammerheads all possible. Holiday season brings crowds — book ahead. Mandarin fish mating reliable at sunset.

Dive Sites (28)

Bantigue

5–18m · Beginner

Muck diving · Macro life · Seagrass

Camotes Offshore Pinnacles

15–30m · Advanced

Pinnacle · Offshore · Pelagics

Capitancillo Island

5–25m · Beginner

Marine sanctuary · Fringing reef · Lighthouse

Caridad

5–20m · Beginner

Reef dive · Seagrass · Sandy channels

Chocolate Island

8–22m · Beginner

Coral bommies · Turtles · Reef dive

Dakit Dakit

5–15m · Intermediate

Swim-throughs · Boulders · Macro life

Dakit Dakit II

8–15m · Beginner

Boulders · Swim-throughs · Macro life

Deep Rock

18–30m · Advanced

Deep dive · Seamount · Black coral

+20more sites in the appGet the app →

Marine Life (88)

must-see

Loggerhead Turtle

must-see

Bull Shark

must-see

Great Hammerhead

must-see

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

must-see

Bowmouth Guitarfish

must-see

Green Sea Turtle

must-see

Hawksbill Turtle

must-see

Spotted Eagle Ray

Common Lionfish

Longhorn Cowfish

Honeycomb Stingray

Annulated Sea Snake

+76more species in the app

Dive Shops (37)

Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort

★ 4.5Moderate

Diving in Malapascua

Explore the map

Conditions

Dive Sites (28)

Bantigue

Camotes Offshore Pinnacles

Capitancillo Island

Caridad

Chocolate Island

Dakit Dakit

Dakit Dakit II

Deep Rock

Marine Life (88)

Dive Shops (37)

Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort

Devocean Divers Malapascua

Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort

Avila’s Horizon Dive Resort, Malapascua PADI 5 Star

Malapascua MBI Dive Center

French Kiss Divers Malapascua

Atlas Divers Malapascua

Malapascua Legend Water Sports & Dive Resort

Slam's Garden Dive Resort / Ocean Passion

SK Divers Center

Kokay's Maldito Dive Resort

Little Mermaid Dive Resort

The Shark's Tail Dive Resort

Zhang Resort and Dragon J1 Dive Center OPC

Thresher Shark Divers

Fish Buddies Dive Shop

Malapascua Beach & Dive Resort

MTD Diveshop

Sea Explorers Malapascua

Divelink Cebu

DiverGems Diving Center

Dive Nation Malapascua

Malapascua Kairos Diver Inc

Dan's Dives Malapascua®️

Fun & Sun Dive & Travel

Malapascua Scuba Eco Adventures

Evolution Beach and Dive Resort

Mabuhay Thresher Dive Center

MochilayAletas

Kokay's Diving Shop, Malapascua

Evolution Recreational and Technical Diving

Lighthouse Scuba Diving

MONTENOVA DIVE CENTER

Malapascua Diving Adventures

Paradive Resort

Dive4Help - "Travel Enjoy Dive Help"

Johan dive center

Guides

Malapascua Diving Guide: The Thresher Shark Capital

Diving Malapascua: Conditions, Seasons, and What to Expect

Top 10 Dive Sites in Malapascua: A Complete Guide

Safety

Bring Malapascua underwater