Malapascua’s main attraction is scuba diving with the unique thresher shark. Growing up to about six meters, this type of shark’s sharp tail takes up half its length. The shark’s name is based on how it attacks prey. First stunning its prey, the shark then whips its tail around knocking out its prey.

Every day dozens of divers take the 30-minute bangka ride at 5:30 a.m. to Monad Shoal, the dive site where thresher sharks are most often seen. The dive is so early because thresher sharks are nocturnal, so best to see while there is some light in the early morning hours. But the early ride out is worth it for more than what’s underwater. Divers leave in the dark, seeing a clear night’s sky and jump into the water at sunrise, another great sight.

Monad Shoal is a sunken island covered largely by coral. People can also see manta rays here throughout the day. The sharks appear from the deep blue surrounding the island which drops down about 200 meters from the underwater island’s depth of about 22 meters.

Kenny Chen, a PADI instructor at Beach Life Diving Center in Boracay, Philippines,  took this video of the unique shark on one of my dives at Monad Shoal. While my dive group sat completely still, the three-meter shark appeared from the blue and swam around us for a minute or two. It’s important to stay still as the shark will go away if it sees people following it.

From Exotic Island Dive Resort in Malapascua, one dive costs P1200, not including dive rentals. Rentals costs and additional P300.

Banner photo by Samaul Lam.