Kimud Shoal
in 2022 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? We recommend diving Gato at least twice – one with each set up!
Evolution’s House Reef
Our very own house reef is one of the best muck dives in the country. Just 3 minutes from our beach front is an incredible array of macro delights. Here we repeatedly see pairs of Crinoid Squat Lobsters and Imperial Shrimps. At dusk dozens of Bobtail Squid appear. Coconut Vein Octopi are regulars and we find seahorses on every dive. Snake Eels poke their head from the sand and Stargazers make occasional appearances too. Robust Ghostpipefish and an array of Mantis Shrimp species are also part of the Evolution House Reef experience. And that’s just for starters.
The Lighthouse
Another northern site, this is everyone’s favourite night dive. As a photographer David insists this is the best place to try and capture spawning Mandarin fish in Asia. Our males are big and brazen here and are not put off their mating quest by joyous divers. Lots of nocturnal critters appear after sunset and we love the minute Bobtail Squid that only an expert can find.
The Mogami Maru
For our tech customers only, this WWII Japanese Wreck lies in just over 50m. It stands upright and is a perfect decompression dive. Ammunition is still scattered inside the hull – again real history on display.
Lapus Lapus
One of the most popular local sites with a wide selection of macro critters from frogfish to nudibranchs and everything in between. Search for the critters nestling amongst the gardens of soft corals waving in the breeze, or stick your head in to the small cave to look for cleaner shrimp hiding behind the school of glass fish.
Bugtong Bato
David’s favorite site is a small pinnacle with the deepest point at around 30m, and the shallowest at 15m on the top. So a slightly more advanced dive which can sometimes have currents, and a great one for nitrox divers.
Look out for the large school of batfish which is resident, and if you don’t see them you might be lucky enough to see the common school of squid which cruises in the current around this area.
North Point
A fantastic dive for Open Water classes, or photographers who want to shelter from any currents. Spend you time admiring the long whip corals and seeing if they are home to a tiny Goby, or look under some coral heads to see if the common juvenile box fish is fluttering around there.
Ka Osting
One of the closest sites other than the Evolution house reef, Ka Osting is a regular favorite for those who like to stay shallow and combine some muck diving with some colorful corals towards the end of the dive. As you would expect in the Philippines you can expect to find some crazy critters like bobtail squid, decorator crabs and more in this area, and this is also one of Malapascua’s finest night dives for critter hunting.
Dakit Dakit
The small islets of Dakit Dakit are one of the first things you see when you approach Malapascua, however most divers don’t realize the surprise that await them so close by. Dakit Dakit is an exciting collection of boulders in 8-15m and can have strong currents, so although it’s shallow can make an exciting dive for all levels. Look out for butterfly fish schooling and feeding and the famous yet elusive orangutan crab.
Kalanggaman Island
Visiting Kalanggaman Island is one of the most popular trips we offer for divers and non-divers alike. This postcard-perfect island has a spectacular sandbar, azure waters and fantastic drops offs. A variety of reef fish patrol the walls along with turtles and from time to time a curious Thresher Shark Enjoy lunch on the island in between dives. Be sure to bring a camera.
Chocolate Island
As you travel to Malapascua on the boat from Maya, you pass the small, uninhabited Chocolate Island. Home to exquisite soft corals, small, rocky walls and hard coral encrusted boulders, Chocolate Island offers up endless surprises as a fantastic dive either day or night. From blue ringed octopus, cuttlefish and other cephalopods, to mantis shrimp, crustaceans and nudibranchs galore and of course frogfish. Shallow topography in the 5-12m range means plenty of time to explore, making Chocolate Island a firm favourite with photographers.
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