It is a fact that Malapascua Island has been headlining and making a name for itself across the diving community around the world for its famed thresher sharks. It is a dive experience in every divers wish list and certainly a place to re-visit for those who have dived here before.
Malapascua Shoreline
STORM AFTERMATH
Following the storm, this very same enchanting island made it to the buzz world because of the massive damages to the people and their properties including dive businesses and their facilities. Amidst the chaos, all the help from divers all over the world poured in to re-build houses and livelihood of these gracious people who have made every dive with the thresher sharks possible.
GOOD NEWS
We are pleased to share that we have good news and very good news for all of you. The good news is – most dive operations are now back in business and ready to serve divers again. It was true, significant number of dive facilities are among the casualties of the typhoon. However, all the aids to the island and their people were put to good use hence our favourite dive operators and their respective team are back diving with us once more.
Now, are you ready for this? Here it is – the very good news is – the thresher sharks appear to have not been bothered by the typhoon. They are still present as ever!
THRESHER SHARKS
Be prepared to sit around sandy slope and marvel at sleek, strong and elegant thresher sharks gliding by while cleaning wrasse do they task. The sweeping, tapering elongated tail indeed make this specie so famous seeing them once seems never enough. Their pointed face with those anxious and inquisitive eyes keeps divers drawn to their mystery.
The Enchanting Thresher Shark
Thresher Sharks love the darkness. It is in fact one of the reasons they have remarkably huge eyes. They are generally feeding too deep a site for divers to be able to enjoy. Nonetheless, they love to wake up and get cleaned in the morning like we people do. They are no different when it comes to hygiene and morning routine.
Glorious Sunrise Prior to Dawn Dive
Subsequent to a sumptuous “fishy” breakfast, thresher sharks come to Monad Shoal every dawn. Here where a collection of cleaning stations can be found, thresher sharks meet up with a bunch of cleaner wrasse. Moon wrasse and blue-streaked wrasse are among the staple in the area. These cleaner fishes reside conspicuously along rocky outcroppings jutting off the plateau. From the plateau, sandy slope leads down to the array of cleaning stations.
Majority of the actions take place at around 32m depth. Your nitrox certification may prove to be in handy during this dive. If you are not yet certified, might as well get your hands on one as this can contribute to a better diving experience with thresher sharks.
OTHER TREATS
Aside from the chance to get up close and personal with the thresher sharks, there are more treats awaiting you in Malapascua. They have got pygmy seahorse, starfish, ghost pipefish, jellyfish and a whole lot more. A few days diving and you may find yourself discovering that this place has more to offer.
Adorable Pygny Seahorse
Colourful Starfish
Sleek Ghost Pipefish
Graceful Jellyfish
DIVE HOLIDAY NOW!
Now is the time to get ahead of the others and take advantage of the opportunity to see thresher sharks. With the decreased number of divers after the weather disturbance, the number of sharks seem to be inversely proportional. Tourists are making their way back very soon. So let us go diving now and enjoy Malapascua like what it was ten years ago. The dives promise heaps of adventure and a golden opportunity to support the local businesses to boot.
With that said, a group trip on 4 – 8 June 2014 is in the bucket. You are cordially invited. Join us! For more details, please send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at +65 90111952.