Malapascua — Thresher Sharks

The tiny island of Malapascua (2.5 km long, 1 km wide) lies off the northern tip of Cebu and is the only place in the world where you can almost daily see thresher sharks. These elegant sharks with their characteristic, elongated tail fin come every morning to the cleaning stations on the underwater mountain Monad Shoal to be cleaned by small cleaner fish.

The dive begins at 5:00 AM (yes, really) — you board the boat in the dark, travel 30 minutes to the dive site, and wait at 20–25 meters depth until the sharks appear. The sighting rate is over 90%. The thresher sharks are shy and keep their distance, but the encounter at dawn, when the first light breaks through the water and these majestic creatures glide silently by, is one of the most emotional diving experiences worldwide.

Malapascua also offers excellent diving beyond the sharks: Gato Island (underwater cave with banded sea snakes), Kalanggaman Island (perfect sandbank for snorkeling and relaxing), and the Dona Marilyn Wreck (passenger ship that sank in 1988). The island itself is car-free, charming, and relaxed — Bounty Beach in the south is the main beach.