Top Things to Do in Malapascua Island: Thresher Sharks Diving & Beaches

The underwater scene in Malapascua Island is teeming with beautiful corals and rock formations, perfect for divers, underwater photographers, or anyone who wants to experience life under the sea.

Moreover, there are many powdery white sand Malapascua beaches here that can rival the best beaches in Cebu.

If you’re planning to visit the thresher sharks and explore the beaches in Malapascua, Cebu this year, here are the top things to do on the island that you should include in your itinerary. 

1. Dive with the Thresher Sharks at Monad Shoal

It’s one of the famous diving spots in all of Malapascua Island because this is where the famous thresher sharks can be spotted year-round every single day. Yes, that’s right. Thresher shark sightings are guaranteed! In fact, it’s the only place in the whole world where you can encounter these majestic sea creatures nearly on a daily basis. 

• Check out our Malapascua diving packages
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The fact that diving to see these thresher sharks is completely eco-friendly and sustainable. 

Compared to whale sharks that are often led to dive sites with food and sometimes, motorboats, the thresher sharks in Malapascua Island naturally swim to Monad Shoal every day for their natural cleaning session.

Monad Shoal is teeming with wrasse, a small electric blue fish that cleans sea creatures naturally from small fish to big sharks. 

• Check out our list of emerging diving destinations in the Philippines

If you’re diving with thresher sharks, try exposing a bit of skin and the wrasse will eat up those dead skin cells with gusto! Don’t worry, it won’t hurt. In fact, it’s a bit ticklish! 

The best time to see the thresher sharks is very early in the morning, around 4 o’clock in the morning. This is when they have a natural cleaning session with the wrasse.

Despite its popularity, Monad Shoal is for experienced divers only with an Advanced Open Water Diving license.

Monad Shoal has a length of 1.5 kilometers and a depth of nearly 27 meters from the surface. But don’t feel bad if you miss them, you can still swim with manta rays, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, and devil rays in Monad Shoal.

2.Spend a Day at Logon Beach

Photo by Tepanee Beach Resort
The crescent-shaped beach is popular for its lineup of classy beachfront hotels and restaurants. It's one of the best beaches in Malapascua for its idyllic atmosphere and calm waters.

 It’s also a great spot to capture the sunset and some island vibes for travel photography.

3. Discover the Beauty of Guimbitayan Beach

A bit secluded, the Guimbitayan Beach is one of the unspoiled, hidden gems in Malapascua Island.

You need to take a steep and slightly bumpy motorcycle ride to reach the beach but the tranquility and beauty of the beach make it all worth your while.

4. Swim at Langub Beach

This beach is a fan favorite among tourists who want some peace and quiet. In fact, despite it being a public beach, the shores are mostly unspoiled.

The azure waters, white sand, lesser crowds, and amazing sunset truly make it a beach paradise. If you want to do some beach yoga, you can do it on the shores of Langub Beach in peace.

5. Drink Cocktails at Bounty Beach

This is the first beach that will greet you upon arriving on the island paradise. As Malapascua Island’s main beach, it is probably the most commercialized with a lot of hotels, restaurants, and dive shops near the shore. 

If you fancy a cocktail while watching the sunset, simply walk into one of the beachfront bars and get yourself a drink.

6. See the Underwater Caves in Gato Island

Many diver tourists come to Malapascua Island to see the thresher sharks in Monad Shoal. 

But many people also say that they leave the island loving the diving experience in Gato Island more! The underwater scene in Gato Island is filled with beautiful rock formations and corals.

There’s an underwater tunnel where you can swim through. Inside the small underwater caves, you’ll find big whitetip reef sharks and sea snacks resting. You can also encounter big schools of fish during your dive.

7. Explore Kemod Shoal

This dive site is closer to the province of Leyte but still included in many Malapascua tours.

Like in Monad Shoal, you can also find thresher sharks here, as well as hammerhead sharks, barracudas, yellowfin tuna, mackerel, and unicorn fish. The site is teeming with corals, sponges, and sea fans.

8. Swim with Marine Life at Bugtong Bato

Bugtong Bato or North Wall is a dive site near Malapascua Island. Divers will enjoy the sloping reef in Bugtong Bato as well as a mini wall, the sandy bottom, and all the underwater creatures that hid in the corals. 

It is a famous spot to see some squid, lionfish, zebra crabs, seahorses, cuttlefish, blue ring octopus, and whip coral shrimp.

If you've always wanted to swim with a large school of batfish, do include this dive site in your Malapascua diving tour. 

It’s always best to check the local weather before a dive. Sometimes, the currents here get pretty strong that tours often finish early.

9. See the Mandarin Fish at Lighthouse Reef

Head to the Lighthouse Reef and tick off this item from your bucket list. Here you’ll find one of the world’s most beautiful and psychedelic fish: the Mandarin fish. 

Malapascua Island is one of the few places in the globe where you can spot it and if you’re lucky, you can even witness their mating dance.

Underwater photographers dive here not just for the Mandarin fish but also for the blue ring octopus, seahorses, and a small but equally captivating World War II shipwreck.

10. Marvel at the View of Malapascua at Lighthouse Beach

As the name suggests, this beach is near the Malapascua lighthouse where you can enjoy amazing panoramic views from the top.

But what makes the Lighthouse Beach famous is the Japanese World War II landing craft wreck in a shallow snorkeling spot. Like most beaches in Malapascua, people go here to watch the sunset in peace.

Experience the Marine Life in Malapascua

A trip to Malapascua Island isn't just about diving to see the thresher sharks. It's about experiencing a different kind of island life, one that is far from the party and bustling island life. 

In Malapascua, Cebu, you're not only diving deep to see the majestic sea creatures, but you're also immersing yourself in the island culture. 

You'll see firsthand how the locals are able to sustain their eco-tourism model. You’ll see how the diving rules are strictly enforced to ensure that the activities do not pose any harm to these sea creatures and their habitat.

A trip to Malapascua Island allows you to commune with nature, with the sea, with the people, and experience peace in a true island paradise. 

If you’re planning to explore Malapascua, Cebu, add Cebu tours and activities that can help you make the most of your trip.