Malapascua (Cebu - Cebu)
Seadoors · Philippines · 5 nights
About this route
This 5-night liveaboard journey embarks from Cebu, offering an immersive diving experience in the vibrant waters around Malapascua. The itinerary focuses on encountering unique marine life, particularly the elusive thresher sharks, and exploring diverse reef ecosystems. Guests will explore a variety of dive sites known for their rich biodiversity, from intricate coral gardens to thrilling drift dives and historical wrecks. Expect a blend of pelagic encounters and macro photography opportunities as the trip navigates this renowned Philippine region.
Regions on this route
Highlights
Cebu
Cebu serves as a gateway to some of the best diving in the central Visayas, including the famous Malapascua Island. The waters around Cebu offer a mix of exhilarating drift dives, vibrant reef systems, and access to unique cleaning stations for sharks. Divers can expect to see a wide range of marine creatures, from colorful reef fish to larger pelagic species, set against a backdrop of healthy corals and dramatic underwater landscapes.
- Gateway to top dive sites
- Drift diving opportunities
- Vibrant reef systems
- Diverse marine encounters
Leyte
Leyte offers pristine dive sites characterized by healthy coral reefs and abundant marine life. The region is less frequented, providing untouched dive experiences with clear waters and diverse ecosystems. Divers can explore vibrant walls, fascinating macro habitats, and potentially encounter larger pelagic species. It's a destination known for its serene underwater environment and rich biodiversity.
- Pristine dive environment
- Healthy coral reefs
- Abundant marine life
- Less crowded dive sites
Malapascua
Malapascua is a small island in the Philippines, primarily known as the only place in the world where thresher sharks can be seen regularly. Its dive sites offer a rich diversity of marine life, including manta rays, various sharks, and a wide array of macro critters. The unique underwater topography features cleaning stations, vibrant coral gardens, and intriguing wreck sites.
- Thresher shark encounters
- Unique cleaning stations
- Rich macro life
- Diverse coral reefs
Visayas
The Visayas region of the Philippines is a central hub for diving, offering a vast array of dive sites from gentle slopes to dramatic walls. It is renowned for its incredible biodiversity, including both pelagic species and fascinating macro subjects. The area features pristine coral reefs, abundant fish life, and occasional encounters with larger marine animals, making it a diverse destination for all levels of divers.
- High marine biodiversity
- Pelagic and macro diving
- Pristine coral reefs
- Varied dive topography
Requirements
- CertificationOpen Water
- Minimum logged dives30
- ExperienceDivers should have a minimum of 30 logged dives.
Good to know
- A waiting period of 24 hours is recommended before flying after the last dive of the trip.
Day-by-day plan
Day 1: Embarkation Day – Cebu Yacht Club
The journey begins with embarkation at Cebu Yacht Club, followed by a welcome briefing and cabin setup. Guests will transfer from the airport or their hotel to the yacht club to commence their liveaboard adventure. The evening allows for settling in and preparing for the exciting dives ahead.
Day 2: Malapascua Monad Shoal – Thresher Shark Encounters
Today's dives focus on the renowned Monad Shoal, a unique cleaning station globally famous for consistent thresher shark sightings. Divers can observe these magnificent pelagic sharks as they visit the reef for cleaning. Other dives in the area offer chances to spot white tip reef sharks and various macro life, including Spanish dancers, diverse crabs, and various kinds of nudibranchs, often found in strong currents over vibrant soft corals.
Dive sites: Malapascua Monad Shoal, Malapascua Gato Island / Whitetip Alley
Day 3: Maripipi Sambawan Island – Biodiversity Hotspot
Exploration today centers around Maripipi Sambawan Island and Bullshark Reef, offering a magnificent high-bottom dive with excellent visibility and abundant fuchsia corals. Divers will discover diverse marine life, including various types of coral. Another highlight is a small black coral reef with distinct fluorescent colors, while canyons reveal giant sea fans and intricate reef structures. The area is known for its rich hard and soft coral formations, attracting a variety of reef fish and macro creatures.
Dive sites: Maripipi Sambawan Island / Bullshark Reef, Maripipi Sambawan Island / Black Forest, Maripipi Sambawan Island / South Islet
Day 4: Malapascua Gato Island – Wrecks and Critters
Today's dives feature the Malapascua Gato Island, including the wreck of a Ferry at 30 meters, offering an interesting exploration opportunity. The tunnel passage through the island is adorned with yellow anemones, whitetip sharks, and various macro life such as pygmy seahorses, harlequin shrimp, and spider crabs. The Whitetip Alley site is known for its resident whitetip reef sharks and cat sharks, alongside a macrofauna including Spanish dancers and diverse nudibranchs, often in areas with strong currents.
Dive sites: Malapascua Gato Island / Dona Marilyn Wreck, Malapascua Gato Island / Tunnel, Malapascua Gato Island / Whitetip Alley, Malapascua Gato Island / Nudibranch City
Day 5: Malapascua Kimud Shoal – Hammerhead Encounters
The day's diving focuses on Kimud Shoal, a seasonal site renowned for potential hammerhead shark encounters. This deeper site offers a thrilling experience for pelagic lovers. Additionally, dives at Kalanggaman Island / Black Forest feature a straight wall with an overhang, providing shelter for diverse marine life. The area is also known for sightings of barracudas and schools of fish, making for dynamic and vibrant dives.
Dive sites: Malapascua Kimud Shoal, Malapascua Kalanggaman Island / Black Forest
Day 6: Disembarkation Day – Cebu Yacht Club
After breakfast, guests will disembark at Cebu Yacht Club between 08:00 and 11:00. Transfers to the airport or a hotel in Cebu City will be arranged, concluding the liveaboard journey. This marks the end of a memorable diving adventure exploring the rich waters of Malapascua.
Upcoming departures
All routes of this liveaboard
- Malapascua (Cebu - Cebu) · 6 nights
- Mer De Sulu (Cebu - Cebu) · 11 nights
- Southern Visayas (Cebu - Cebu) · 6 nights
- Tubbataha (Puerto Princesa - Puerto Princesa) · 6 nights
- Mer De Sulu (Puerto Princesa - Cebu) · 11 nights
- Visayas Shark Special (Cebu - Cebu) · 6 nights
- Mer De Sulu (Cebu - Puerto Princesa) · 11 nights
- Visayas - Seascape (Cebu - Cebu) · 9 nights
- Visayas Odyssey (Cebu - Cebu) · 9 nights
- Southern Visayas (Cebu - Cebu) · 5 nights
- Special Visayas Sharks (Cebu - Cebu) · 9 nights
- Malapascua Cagayan (Cebu - Cebu) · 10 nights
About the vessel
SeadoorsPhilippines