...Highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, dolphins, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity...
...Diving environment: healthy reefs, wall diving, wrecks, beginner and advanced divers, off the beaten track...
Malapascua is a small and delightful tropical island just off the northernmost tip of Cebu right in the heart of the Philippines. With a lush green interior, white sand beaches and clear blue shallows, it is a picture of the island idyll. Best known for the chance of encountering thresher sharks, Malapascua is really a diverse dive destination, with a wide range of sites and amazing creatures, large and small.
Cebu is a renowned hotspot for diving in the Philippines, with Malapascua being the jewel in its crown. While the list of exciting creatures features white tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, tuna, barracuda, sea snakes, and amazing macro marine life from mandarinfish to mantis shrimps, most scuba divers come with thresher sharks in mind.
Alopias pelagicus, the pelagic thresher shark, can grow up to 3m in length, not including their characteristic and extraordinarily long whip-like tail. This is the species seen here, as opposed to other species like the common or bigeye threshers. Malapascua is one of the best places in the whole world for diving with thresher sharks where they frequently visit cleaning stations. Elsewhere they are normally found in the deep waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans and rarely above the continental shelf.
The range of diving in Malapascua varies from flat coral gardens to sheer walls; from muck dives over a sandy floor to fascinating wrecks. There are enough sites here to do several days of top quality diving, which is why it is included in so many Philippine liveaboard boats' routes.
There are several dive resorts based on Malapascua, however we recommend a liveaboard safari to visit the area. This is because you can easily explore all the local dives spots, plus the best of the entire Visayas region - Cebu, Bohol, Dumaguete, Camiguin, plus Southern Leyte - on one diving cruise. These tours typically take 7 to 12 nights.
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You can dive at Malapascua all year round but there are seasons. Late February to May represents spring, when the Visayan Sea is at its calmest, the visibility at its best (15-25m), and water temperature rises from 27-29°C/80-84F. This is the high season, with the most sunshine, and the air temperature rises from 30-32°C/86-90F. This is the best time of year to see hammerhead sharks.
The summer runs from June to September. You can expect hot, sunny days at 32°C/90F, but rain during late afternoons and the nights. The sea temperature is 29°C/84F, mostly calm, and there is good visibility (15-20m). This is the jellyfish season, so use a full length wetsuit.
The winter runs from October to January, with the typhoon season from October to December. This is the rainy season and there can be rough seas. The sea temperature drops from 28-26°C/82-79F (25°C/77F at depth), and visibility falls from 15m to 5-10m. The air temperature drops from 31-29°C/88-84F. It should be noted that Malapascua is a small island, so it attracts less clouds and rain than nearby Cebu, and typhoons usually pass further to the north. Hammerheads can be seen from December.
Generally, currents are non-existent at the sites close to shore, but they can be strong at the sea mounts and offshore islands. Thresher sharks are present all year round, although the increased diver numbers during busy holiday periods (Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Easter) can make them more wary. For more details on the climate of Malapascua Island, visit the Weather2Travel website.
Review our maps below showing Malapascua’s host country Philippines' location in the world. Here, you will find information on Cebu or Dumaguete, and then on to Malapascua.
5 - >40m
5 - 25m
Can be strong
Calm but choppy in rainy season
26 - 29°C
Beginner - advanced
>30
~140 km north of Cebu City (12 hours)
7 - 12 days as part of a Philippine liveaboard charter
Everything was amazing, it was the highlight of our holiday and the boat surpassed expectations. Dive The World were great at dealing with my myriad of questions. It was great. Thanks once again!
