Diving in Malapascua: Thresher Sharks & My Incredible Experience in 2025

Last Updated on May 30, 2025 by Oliver

Scuba diving in Malapascua is one of those things that needs to be on your Philippines itinerary, especially if you’re into the idea of being underwater surrounded by sharks. (Spoiler: it’s not as terrifying as it sounds.)

When I spent around three months traveling through the Philippines, I hadn’t even heard of Malapascua until I was already in the country. It didn’t pop up in any of my research, though to be fair, that probably says more about my questionable planning than the island’s popularity.

That said, Malapascua turned out to be one of the best dive spots I visited in the country. And the reason is pretty obvious: thresher sharks. Yep, the long-tailed, deep-water sharks. If you’re lucky, you might even spot a tiger shark. Sounds intense, but trust me, it’s an absolutely incredible experience.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through what it was like to dive here in early 2025, what you should know before you go, and what I wish I had known myself. I’ll also throw in some snorkeling info, rough prices, how to get there, and the vibe of the island. Let’s get into it.

Diving in Malapascua – My Experience in 2025

As I mentioned earlier, I hadn’t even heard of Malapascua Island until I was already in the Philippines and another traveler casually dropped, “You know there’s an island where you can scuba dive with thresher sharks, right?” Me, who hadn’t been diving in over four years, immediately thought: absolutely, I have to do that.

After visiting Siquijor and Bohol, I had a choice: fly out of Cebu or squeeze in a visit to Malapascua. Since it’s just off Cebu’s north tip, it was sort of on the way anyway, so off we went.

A few days later, I booked a refresher course with Devocean Divers, which seemed to be one of the most popular and well-rated dive shops on the island. The refresher was 100% necessary, I couldn’t even remember how to set up a BCD, let alone control my buoyancy. But the instructor was great, super clear, and after that session, I felt completely confident again.

The next morning, we left at 5:00 AM from Devocean’s beachfront shop on Bounty Beach. It took about an hour by boat to reach our first dive site, Kimud Shoal. On the way, we had breakfast and coffee on the boat, watched the sunrise, and soaked in the slowly unfolding blue skies, it was such an amazing morning.

We did our first two dives at Kimud Shoal and saw thresher sharks both times. And while we were taking a break on the boat, we even saw one leap out of the water. It was incredible.

Our third dive was at a different site where tiger shark sightings are possible, but no luck for us that day. Still, the whole day was a dream, smooth dives, thresher shark encounters, and even an octopus sighting to top it all off.

Scuba Diving with Thresher Sharks – What It’s Actually Like

The dive starts early, like, really early. We met at the Devocean dive shop around 4:30 a.m., grabbed some coffee, and by 5 a.m., we were on the boat heading to Monad Shoal. It’s about a 25-minute ride, and watching the sunrise over the ocean was already worth the early wake-up.

Monad Shoal is basically an underwater plateau, with the top sitting around 14 meters and dropping off to over 200 meters. The thresher sharks come up from the deep to visit cleaning stations at about 28 to 30 meters, where small reef fish clean parasites and dead skin off them. It’s one of the only places in the world where you can reliably see these sharks at recreational diving depths.

We did two dives at Kimud Shoal and one at Monad Shoal. On both dives at Kimud, we saw thresher sharks gliding past us—absolutely majestic. During our surface interval, we even saw one breach the surface, which apparently happens when the cleaner fish get too deep into their gills and irritate them.

There are also pretty strict guidelines to protect both the sharks and the reef:

• No strobes or flash photography
  
• Maintain neutral buoyancy, no sitting, kneeling, or touching the reef
  
• Stay calm and avoid sudden movements
  
• Don’t cross the rope line marking the no-go zone
  
• No chasing or touching the sharks
  
• Avoid using noise makers, reef hooks, or pointer sticks

Best Dive Shop in Malapascua – This is where I went

Okay, so I only dove with one shop in Malapascua, which technically doesn’t make me an expert on all the dive shops here. So calling this section “best dive shop” might be a stretch, but I was really happy with my choice, and I’ll tell you why.

As you walk around Malapascua, you’ll notice loads of dive shops with some of which just don’t look the part. To me, a few looked a bit sketchy, kind of dingy and not super well-maintained. And personally, when a shop looks like that, I can’t help but wonder what their scuba gear’s like. And when it comes to scuba diving, I’d rather not take chances on safety and equipment.

So I ended up diving with Devocean Divers, which is right on the beachfront path at Bounty Beach and it is one of the best Malapascua Dive Shops. It’s a proper dive center, clean, modern, and really well set up. They offer all the major dive options: thresher shark dives, tiger shark dives, and courses from Open Water all the way up to Instructor. The staff is super international, and they’ve got accommodation, a cafe, and restaurants right next door.

Their gear looked new and well-maintained, the instructors were professional and friendly, and the whole operation, from the dive boats to the facilities just made a great impression. No complaints from me at all.

Where to Stay in Malapascua for Diving – Best Dive Resorts & Accommodation in Malapascua

What kind of place you stay in Malapascua really depends on what kind of traveler you are. If you want something easy and comfortable, staying at a dive resort is probably the best thing to do. These are usually the more upscale places to stay on the island, and they’ve got dive shops either right on the property or just a few steps away.

That said, if you’re traveling on a budget, there are also some very affordable hostels and guesthouses around the island. You can always stay somewhere cheaper and still book your dives with whichever shop you prefer, it’s super flexible.

If you’re after convenience, comfort, and great diving all in one, here are a few of the best dive resorts in Malapascua:

• Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort (Best Malapascua Dive Resort)
  
• Evolution Dive & Beach Resort
  
• Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort
  
• Hippocampus Beach Resort

The Best Malapascua Dive Sites (for Thresher Sharks)

I’m definitely not a dive expert or anything, so I can really only speak about the two dive sites I personally went to, plus a bit about the snorkeling spots. For most snorkel sites, by the way, you don’t even need a tour. You can just swim out from the shore, which is super convenient.

Kimud Shoal

This was the first site we dove on the thresher shark trip, and we actually did two dives here. It’s about an hour boat ride from Malapascua. A shoal is basically an underwater ridge, and this one’s top sits at around 14 meters deep. That’s where all the action is, thresher sharks, loads of fish, and coral. You’re basically diving along the top edge of the ridge, looking out into the blue. It’s really cool. But just a heads up: for the thresher shark dive, you’ll need to be Advanced Open Water certified, because you’ll likely go deeper than 18 meters (60 feet). Many of the cleaning stations (where Thresher Sharks get cleaned by smaller fish) are at around 28m.

Monad Shoal

Monad Shoal is another underwater ridge, but it’s way bigger than Kimud. It honestly just looks like the regular ocean floor, so you kind of forget you’re on a shoal at all. The depth here is around 20 meters (65 feet). This used to be the thresher shark hotspot, but they’ve mostly moved on to Kimud Shoal now. These days, Monad is known for possible tiger shark sightings, but we didn’t see any when we went.

Snorkeling Sites in Malapascua

There are a few good snorkeling spots too and like I said, most of them are totally doable without a tour.

The first one is off Tepanee Beach Resort, where you can spot baby blacktip reef sharks. Just ask at the reception where to go, and they’ll point you in the right direction.

The second one is right off Shipwreck Beach near Sunset Bar. There’s an old Japanese shipwreck there that’s super easy to explore, even without a guide.

What to Expect on a Typical Dive Day

From what I experienced, a typical dive day in Malapascua starts off early, usually around 5:00 AM and wraps up by early afternoon, somewhere between 1:00 and 2:00 PM.

With Devocean Divers, the day started right on the beach at Bounty. We got on the boat and were served a simple but nice breakfast: eggs, fruit, and some sweet bread, all while cruising out to the first dive site. Honestly, it was a pretty peaceful way to start the day.

The first two dives were both at Kimud Shoal, which is the thresher shark dive site. I think they double up here so you’ve got two chances to see them, just in case they don’t show up on the first dive. We got lucky and saw them both times, which was incredible.

After that, we headed to a second site about 30 minutes away. This is where thresher sharks used to hang out more regularly, but now it’s known for potential tiger shark sightings. Unfortunately, we didn’t spot any that day, but it was still a great dive.

From there, it’s another 30 minutes or so back to Malapascua. You’re usually done by early afternoon, with the rest of the day free to relax on the beach or grab lunch somewhere nearby.

Snorkeling in Malapascua – My Experience

I know everyone’s rightfully obsessed with the thresher sharks in Malapascua, but there’s actually more to see here. If you’ve got a spare day and you’re feeling like you’ve done enough scuba dives, I’d recommend taking a day to explore the island and go on a little snorkeling trip. That’s what we did.

We stayed at Georgia’s Neverland Hostel, a super chill and basic eco-stay. Through them, we booked a snorkeling trip for just 500 pesos per person. It was pretty barebones, just a snorkel mask and a local guy who took us out on his wooden boat but honestly, that’s all you really need.

We saw baby blacktip reef sharks, tons of fish, and even a little turtle. It was such a fun and easy day out.

For 500 pesos (under $10), I’d definitely recommend it. Seeing sharks and a turtle for that price? No brainer.

How Much Does Diving Cost in Malapascua?

I think between $30-$40 USD is the normal Malapascua Diving Price.

It really depends on which dive shop you go with, but here’s my honest take: scuba diving is not the time to be stingy. I mean, you’re 20 meters underwater relying on your gear, this is not the place to cut corners. Even something as small as a broken mask can ruin the whole dive, so I’d rather pay a little more for quality and peace of mind.

For reference, I paid ₱6,000 (about $105 USD) for the three-dive thresher shark trip, which included two dives at Kimud Shoal and one dive at Monad Shoal. That breaks down to about $35 per dive, which is honestly not bad at all. It’s not the absolute cheapest diving I’ve ever done, but it’s definitely on the more affordable end, especially considering you’re diving with actual sharks.

Dive / Course	Price (PHP)	Notes
Thresher Shark Dive (3 dives)	₱6,000	Includes early morning trip to Kimud Shoal
Open Water Certification	₱19,000	Full beginner course, takes 3–4 days
Advanced Open Water Certification	₱16,000	For certified divers, includes deep dive + navigation dive
Single Local Fun Dive (non-thresher)	₱1,800	For nearby sites, usually a 1-tank dive

How to Get to Malapascua for Diving

I’ve actually written a full article on how to get to Malapascua from Cebu, which you can check out, but here’s a quick little breakdown.

From Cebu City, head to the Cebu North Bus Terminal (click here for Google Maps). There, you can buy a bus ticket for 220 pesos that’ll take you all the way up to Maya Port, a small town on the northern tip of Cebu. The ride takes about 5 hours, give or take, depending on traffic.

Once you’re in Maya, hop on the ferry to Malapascua, which takes around 40 minutes. Super straightforward and honestly, kind of scenic if the weather’s good.

FAQs About Diving in Malapascua

Where is the best diving in Malapascua?

If you’re coming to Malapascua, it’s probably for the thresher sharks and that’s the main event. The best dive sites for those are Kimud Shoal and Monad Shoal. Kimud is where most of the sharks hang out these days.

Can you do Malapascua freediving?

Yes, freediving is possible here, and there are even a few freediving schools on the island. But just a heads up, you can’t freedive with the thresher sharks.

Can I book a Malapascua diving package?

Absolutely. Most dive shops offer packages, whether it’s a few fun dives, thresher shark trips, or full certification courses like Open Water or Advanced. I booked a 3-dive package for the thresher shark dives.

Is there diving Malapascua for beginners?

Yes! You don’t need to be a pro to dive here. There are beginner-friendly dive sites around the island, and you can also get your Open Water certification while you’re here. Just keep in mind that the thresher shark dives require an Advanced Open Water cert, so you’ll need to level up if that’s your goal.

Final Thoughts on Malapascua Diving and Snorkeling

Diving in Malapascua is all about the thresher sharks and honestly, that alone makes it worth the trip, especially if you’re already in the Philippines. There aren’t many places in the world where you can dive with these sharks in such a consistent and natural way. It’s a pretty rare experience, and for that reason alone, Malapascua earns its spot on the diving map.

That said, if you’re looking for a destination that’s not just about the diving, like somewhere with more of a vibe, nightlife, or better beaches then there are definitely other islands I’d choose over Malapascua. Some spots in Thailand or Mexico might offer a more well-rounded experience if you’re looking for both diving and a more social scene.

But purely for the underwater experience? Malapascua is amazing. The diving here is incredible, and I had a great time with Devocean Divers. They were professional, relaxed, and everything felt well-organized without being too rigid. If diving with thresher sharks is on your bucket list, I’d recommend making the journey and do it while you still can.

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