Malapascua

Malapascua is a small island in Central Visayas, Philippines, off the northern coast of Cebu, notable for its dive sites and marine wildlife. It has become one of the Philippines’ best-known destinations for scuba diving, especially for encounters with thresher sharks.

Dive tourism is the island’s main draw and the nearby Monad Shoal seamount is the primary reason many divers visit; there are also shore dives, wrecks and day trips to nearby islets. Accommodation and dive operators are concentrated along the main beaches, and the island infrastructure is compact compared with larger tourist centres.

Historically a fishing community, Malapascua developed an island tourism economy from the late 20th century as recreational scuba diving grew in popularity. Local livelihoods now mix fishing, tourism services and hospitality.

The island lies off the northern tip of Cebu province in the Central Visayas region and is part of the municipality of Daanbantayan. It is reached by a short boat crossing from the nearby mainland ports.

• Thresher shark dives: Noted for frequent sightings of pelagic thresher sharks at the nearby Monad Shoal, with most shark dives scheduled at first light.
• Access and scale: Small, low-lying island accessible by a short boat crossing from northern Cebu, with most visitor facilities concentrated along a few main beaches.

What to See #

• Monad Shoal: A shallow seamount and dive site located a short boat ride northeast of the island, known worldwide for regular sightings of pelagic thresher sharks on early morning dives.
• Bounty Beach: A stretch of sand and shoreline on the eastern side of the island that functions as the main area for beachside guesthouses, restaurants and sunset viewing.
• Gato Island: A small rocky islet off Malapascua used for scuba diving, notable for caves and marine life encounters including reefs and occasional shark species.