Malapascua Diving FAQs
Everything you need to know about diving in Malapascua, the only place in the world where you can dive with thresher sharks every day of the year. Below: dive sites, courses, prices, the daily schedule, weather and seasons, safety, and more. Updated April 2026.
Malapascua has a wide variety of dive sites: big stuff and small stuff, reefs and wrecks, coral dives and sandy muck dives, wall dives and night dives. See the full dive sites guide.
Malapascua is the only place in the world where you can dive with the magnificent thresher sharks every day, so come and see these amazing creatures in action!
We dedicated a full page to these magnificent creatures, Malapascua’s thresher sharks.
TSD offers a mix of single boat dives and two or three tank day trips to more distant sites. We dive in small groups supervised by experienced PADI Divemasters who have done thousands of dives around Malapascua. They have laser eyes and know the sites inside out! If you want to see something special, just ask. Get more info and schedules.
During PADI’s entry level Open Water Diver Course you will gain the necessary knowledge to dive with a buddy, independent of supervision. After you are certified you will be able to go to any scuba shop around the world and rent equipment, get air fills, and dive within the limits of your training. You will learn to plan, conduct, and log open water dives.
The course takes 3-4 days, but if you have less time, we do have several options. Find out more about the Open Water Course.
Malapascua has an incredible diversity of life. Our dive sites are spread out to the north, south, east and west of us, and so each site has different influences and its own environment, its own type of diving and its own appeal. We really are a one-stop destination.
We have a full page dedicated to the Malapascua marine life.
Thresher sharks are at Kimud Shoal every day of every month, so timing comes down to weather, crowds and price. March to June is dry season with the calmest seas and visibility of 20 to 30 metres (busiest and priciest). November to February is the Amihan shoulder, with choppier seas, visibility often 10 to 15 metres and lower prices. July to October is the Habagat wet season, with rain, occasional storms and the lowest prices of the year. Direct typhoon hits on Cebu have averaged less than once a year over the last 26 years. Read our full Best Time to Dive guide.
We have it all! From beginner to technical diver, Malapascua has a wreck for you! If you’ve heard that Coron is the only place in the Philippines with good wreck diving, think again!
Thresher Shark Divers offers a full range of PADI diving courses from beginner certification through to professional. Our experienced and knowledgeable diving instructors have been through PADI’s (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) rigorous training procedures and have taught hundreds of people to dive.
We offer a full range of PADI scuba diving courses from beginner to Instructor including everything in between. As the top PADI Dive Center on Malapascua and one of the top 5 in the Philippines, you are sure to find a course to suit your needs.
For multiple courses or groups we can arrange a special package price.
We can arrange everything on your diving trip, including diving, rooms, meals and transportation.
Because everyone has different needs and schedules, we will tailor the package specifically for you. Packages include diving, accommodation, and transport between destinations.
Please contact us for more info.
Our dive schedule is flexible, but a typical day looks like this:
5:00am – 7:00am – Thresher Shark Dive
Our first dive of the day leaves between 5:00am and 7:00am. We provide plenty of coffee and tea, and you will get to see an amazing sunrise.
10:00am and 2:00pm – Day Dives
During the day we run single dives or 2-3 tank day trips to more distant sites.
5:00pm – Mandarin Fish Dive at Lighthouse
In the late afternoon we dive Lighthouse, where the rare and psychedelic mandarinfish are guaranteed.
6:00pm – Night Dives
We regularly run full night dives to other sites around Malapascua.
Yes! We offer Enriched Air Nitrox which is perfect for several of our dive sites. For thresher shark dives at Kimud Shoal, you will spend the majority of your time at 12-22m depth, and nitrox can be beneficial for extending your bottom time. It is not required, and you can decide when you arrive. You will need an Enriched Air certification — if you do not already have one, we can certify you quickly.
We dive in small groups supervised by experienced PADI Divemasters who have done thousands of dives around Malapascua. We offer a very personalised service and can usually arrange to go to the dive sites of your choice during your stay — we can even take you out if you are the only one diving. All our dive boats carry first aid kits, phones, and oxygen, and our emphasis is always on your safety and your fun.
Absolutely! Malapascua is a relatively undived area, and there are many undiscovered dive sites just waiting to be found. We love to go out and find new places, so if you are interested in some adventure, let us know and we can go out searching. Who knows, you may even get a new dive site named after you!
