Scuba Season
Underwater reef at Malapascua
Stable

Malapascua

Philippines · Visayas

A small island off the northern tip of Cebu, Malapascua is built around one thing: pre dawn dives at Monad Shoal, the most reliable thresher shark encounter in the world. Beyond threshers, the surrounding reefs offer macro, manta cleaning stations, and a relaxed island base.

How this reef is doing

ⓘ How we measure this

Reef state

Stable

Monad Shoal thresher dives don't depend on coral. Surrounding reefs have thinned but the marquee dive is unaffected.

Coral cover

HEALTHY RANGE14%2015now
Declining

Fish life

Not surveyed

Heat

SafeBleaching

Warmer than usual right now, but not hot enough to bleach.

Warming

Fishing

QuietBusy

Quiet water, and the protection is actively patrolled.

Patrolled

Sources · MERMAID and the survey teams · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity

Coral cover over time

Live coral cover, by survey year

Across 8 survey years from 2015 to 2025, live coral cover here has fallen from 29% to 14%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.

Live coral cover, percent by year

50%0%region avg 37%20152016201720182019202020232025
8 surveys, 2015 to 2025
East Asian Seas average (GCRMN)
MERMAID and the survey teams, within 56 km

What you will see

11 species across the dive sites here

Dive sites

What divers say

I set an alarm for 4:30am for a week and never once regretted it. The threshers showed up every single day.
— Trip report

Good to know

Early starts

Dives leave around 5am. Plan your sleep accordingly.

Gear & getting wet

  • Basic kit

    • Mask and fins
    • BCD and regulator
    • 3mm full wetsuit · warm water
    • Dive computer