Ever since word got out that thresher sharks regularly visit a shoal off Cebu, Malapascua Island has been on every diver’s radar. The thresher shark encounter has become a must-see for avid divers. Monad Shoal is a cleaning station for the sharks, and it offers the rare experience of seeing the deep-sea dwellers up close at only 70 feet. Owing to its proximity to the shoal, Malapascua has taken off not only as a dive destination, but as an impressive beach getaway as well.
Malapascua can rightfully thank Dik and Cora de Boer for its growing popularity. The couple discovered the island in 1996, and since then they have tirelessly promoted Malapascua as a diver’s paradise. They put up the first dive resort on the island, and in the last 10 years Malapascua Exotic Island Dive & Beach Resort has played host to an international coterie of divers who’ve traveled great distances to dive with the thresher sharks. Malapascua is fast becoming a favorite dive destination not just for the interesting reefs, wrecks, and underwater caves that surround the island, but also for its long stretch of white sand beach and a nightlife scene that’s picking up. In fact it’s often referred to as the “next Boracay.”
As far as diving is concerned, “Exotic”—as the locals call it—enjoys the reputation of being the premiere dive resort in Malapascua. Several others have sprouted up in the years since it first set up its dive shop, but divers still flock to the place that originally promoted Malapascua as the new diving Mecca of the Philippines.
“Exotic” is cut off from the main beach, giving it the added appeal of seclusion. The de Boers gradually improved and expanded the resort throughout the years, and now it has rooms that range from non-air-conditioned cottages to a honeymoon suite. Year-round, the resort has both foreign and local guests streaming in, diving any of the 10 varied dive trips accessible from Malapascua.
Its claim to fame, the thresher shark dive, leaves every morning at dawn. Nitrox is recommended because there’s never any assurance of the sharks appearing, and it’s best to increase your chances by extending your bottom time. Divers go down through a line, and wait at Monad Shoal’s surface (60-70ft.). Early morning is the only time the thresher sharks are known to visit the shoal for cleaning by the reef’s cleaner wrasses. Mantas have also been seen to pass through the shoal.
But sharks aren’t the only interesting sight in the area. The house reef, just a minute away, is quite impressive considering artificial reefs were set up only a few years ago. Two jeepneys, a shark structure, and a freshly sunk boat lie on the sandy bed beside a spattering of coral formations, all of them home to a wealth of colorful aquarium fish. The dive is a tour around manmade reefs that are as interesting as the fish that live in them.
In the event that the hyped-up sharks are a no-show, the ‘mating mandarin’ dive is a sure bet. Without fail, these beautiful green and orange fish spawn at dusk. At just 30 ft., hovering above the corals, the sight of dancing mandarins fades slowly as evening sets in. From a colorful mating dance, darkness wraps around the reef, and the dive continues with the aid of flashlights. The seahorses and nudibranches there are especially beautiful at night.
Diving around Malapascua also includes two wrecks and an underwater tunnel that isn’t for the faint of heart. Calanggaman Island, two hours away by banca, is incomparably beautiful with its two long sandbars on both ends of the island.
Malapascua is without a doubt a must-dive. There’s a wealth of interesting dives for divers of every level, and though it’s unlikely that you won’t enjoy diving the area, Malapascua’s long white sand beach more than makes up for thresher sharks and mantas that can be quite fickle in gracing us with their presence.
Major commercial airlines fly daily to Mactan, Cebu. From Mactan, it’s a 2 and ½ hour car/bus ride to Maya port in Daanbantayan, the tip of Cebu. Outriggers (bancas) leave daily for Malapascua, another 30 minutes away. Banca schedules are unpredictable, so it might be worth your while to charter an entire banca if traveling with a group.
For more information on Malapascua Exotic Island Dive & Beach Resort, call their landline (032) 437-0983 or mobile number 0917-3276689, or visit their website at www.malapascua.net.
