Diving with Thresher Sharks at Malapascua Island
- Andrea
- Feb 1
- 2 min read
Of all the unique diving experiences the Philippines has to offer, diving with thresher sharks at Malapascua Island stands apart. Malapascua is the only place in the world where divers can reliably encounter pelagic thresher sharks — Alopias pelagicus — on a daily basis, year-round. It's the kind of dive that goes on the bucket list and stays there until you've done it.
Why Malapascua?
Kimud Shoal, a sunken island about an hour's boat ride from Malapascua, is where divers go to see thresher sharks. The top of the island sits at 12 to 16 metres, with steep sides dropping off to over 200 metres. Every morning, these deep-ocean predators ascend from the depths, and local divemasters can predict encounters with remarkable reliability. The top of the shoal has healthy hard coral, and the sides are covered in soft coral growth with interesting rock formations and overhangs on the east side.
About Thresher Sharks
Thresher sharks are instantly recognisable by their extraordinarily long upper tail fin, which can equal the length of their entire body. They use this tail to stun prey — a hunting strategy that has been filmed in slow motion and is genuinely one of the more spectacular things in nature. Despite their size (up to 3 metres), thresher sharks are shy and non-aggressive around divers. At Kimud Shoal they will often swim slowly past at close range, seemingly indifferent to the small crowd of bubbling humans below them.
What to Expect on the Dive
Thresher shark dives at Malapascua start early — boats leave before sunrise for the hour-long journey to Kimud Shoal, arriving at first light when the sharks are most active. Divers descend to the top of the shoal and wait on the edge, hovering above the reef where the drop-off begins. Encounters typically last between 10 and 40 minutes depending on conditions and shark behaviour. The current can be strong, so good buoyancy control is essential. This is a more advanced dive site — if you are an Open Water diver you can still participate, but you must have an instructor accompany you.
Other Diving Around Malapascua
Malapascua isn't a one-trick island. The surrounding waters have several excellent dive sites including Gato Island, a marine sanctuary and cave system that shelters whitetip reef sharks and sea kraits; Monad Shoal, a seamount now home to tiger sharks and other pelagics; Dona Marilyn, a passenger ferry that sank in a typhoon and now sits on her side as one of the best wreck dives in the Philippines; and a number of coral gardens and walls with strong macro diving. A typical three to five night stay can comfortably fill every dive slot without repeating sites.
Getting to Malapascua
Malapascua is reached via Maya port in northern Cebu, about 3 hours from Cebu City by private transfer or 4 hours by bus. The boat crossing from Maya to Malapascua takes 30 minutes. Fly into Mactan-Cebu International Airport from Manila (1 hour) or from most major Asian hubs. The island itself is tiny — entirely walkable — with a good range of dive resorts from budget guesthouses to comfortable mid-range hotels. Philippines Dive and Travel can arrange the full package: flights, transfers, accommodation, and dive packages tailored to your schedule.
Comments