Thresher Shark Diving from Malapascua Island, Philippines

The Phillipines is one of the top diving destinations in the world with a huge diversity of marine life as well as sunken wrecks. Although the Phillipines is home to hundreds of shark species, most divers visit Malapascua to see the famous thresher sharks.

Malapascua is a small tropical island just off the northernmost tip of Cebu right in the heart of the Phillippines. A plane ride to Mactan-Cebu International airport and then transfer by car and boat to the island, you will be welcomed by white sand beaches and clear blue waters.

Malapascua offers the chance to see exciting creatures such as white tip reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, tuna, barracuda, sea snakes and amazing macro from mandarinfish to mantis shrimps. However, as mentioned, most divers come with thresher sharks in mind!

Malapascua Island is one of the most consistent destinations around the world where recreational divers can encounter Thresher sharks.

Liz, one of the directors of Shark Guardian, has a profound passion for sharks and conservation. She loves leading Shark Guardian events and presentations and is the primary contact for arranging events at schools and public venues. Liz will be your trip leader for the Malapascua Thresher shark expeditions in the Philippines.

Thresher sharks are more active in the early morning. With an early start and a short 30-40 minute boat ride from Malapascua’s beach, you can find these magnificent sharks at the cleaning stations around Kimud. Since most of the dive is at a maximum depth of 18 meters, it’s suitable for divers of various skill levels.

To preserve this unique ecosystem, home to the stunning thresher sharks, Shark Guardian has partnered with an operator known for excellent dive briefings and the best codes of conduct underwater.

KIMUD SHOAL

Kimud Shoal quickly became a very popular spot as the majority of Thresher Sharks changed from cleaning at Monad Shoal, to choosing Kimud for their daily ritual. As Kimud is shallower than Monad, and smaller, there are amazing encounters here on a daily basis. Lots of sharks in a small area and generally good visibility, especially when the sun is shining.

As the dives are so good we tend to do 2 dives here every day, and it’s well worth it!

For our Tech customers we also do dives between 30m and 100m where we have personalised encounters with Thresher Sharks. And schooling Hammerheads. Yes Hammerheads – and we can complete almost all deco in the shallow water of the reef, with sharks to entertain us – so no boring deco stops here.

MONAD SHOAL

Famous as the home of the Thresher Sharks for more than 20years, Monad Shoal is now famous for sightings of Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, and several other species that are rarely sighted elsewhere.

The site is large, and an excellent nitrox dive, to allow you to enjoy the slightly deeper reef areas for the maximum time. We also do day dives here to see the Manta Rays who swoop in for a good clean from time to time.

For our tech customers Monad is full of amazing areas to explore here between 30m and 130m where we encounter the sharks by ourselves over the side of the plateau.

GATO ISLAND

A sanctuary and protected breeding location for the beautiful Sea Krait (sea snake). We’re almost guaranteed to see the resident White Tip Reef Sharks. This island is alive with nudibranchs, Harlequin Ghost Pipefish, Pygmy Sea horses and an endless amount of other macro surprises. Gato is always tough for photographers – macro or wide angle.

READ THE FULL THRESHER SHARK ARTICLE HERE

Known for their unique tail and interesting hunting habits, Threshers are frequent visitors to Malapascua Island. Also known as Fox sharks there are three living species: pelagic, Big Eye and Common Thresher.

Pelagic Thresher sharks (Alopias Pelagicus) inhabit the waters of Malapascua. The smallest of the three species (3 meters / 10 foot long and about 70 kg / 153 lb) they are characterized by their distinguished elongated upper lobe of its caudal fin, which is used like a whip to strike prey (especially small fish).

Beyond the thrill, shark scuba diving expeditions offer invaluable educational experiences. With knowledgeable guides and marine biologists, you'll learn about various shark species, their behaviors, and their critical role in the marine ecosystem. You'll gain insights into the evolutionary history of these creatures and understand the differences between species such as White tip reef sharks and Galapagos sharks, as well as Tiger sharks, Bull sharks, and Whale sharks.

These expeditions emphasize shark conservation efforts, underscoring the importance of protecting these apex predators and their habitats. By immersing yourself in their world, you'll develop a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of marine life and the urgent need to preserve our oceans for future generations.

Our Shark scuba diving expeditions prioritize responsible and sustainable diving practices across a range of shark diving locations. They serve as platforms to raise awareness about the pressing need for shark conservation. Through these expeditions, you actively support the preservation of shark populations and marine ecosystems.

By witnessing the beauty and vulnerability of sharks firsthand, you become an advocate for their protection, spreading the message of conservation within your own communities. Joining a shark scuba diving expedition with Shark Guardian allows you to contribute to the global efforts aimed at safeguarding these incredible creatures and ensuring the health of our oceans.

Heavily integrated into our scuba diving with sharks expeditions is citizen science - basic data collection via the e-Oceans platform. We will teach you what data we need and how to collect it, contributing to a global database of vital information.

Joining us on one of our scuba diving with sharks expeditions also helps support Shark Guardian, and includes a donation so that we can continue the research, campaigning and educational work we do.