Malapascua Island, off northern Cebu, is a premier dive destination renowned for year-round thresher shark sightings at Monad Shoal and Kemod Shoal. Early morning dives reveal these elusive sharks visiting cleaning stations. The island also boasts diverse sites like Gato Island, known for swim-throughs, sea snakes, and macro life, and Kemod Shoal, where manta rays and hammerheads appear. Explore vibrant coral reefs, jeepney wrecks, and concrete structures across sites like East Garden and North Point. Malapascua offers everything from deep pelagic dives to shallow reefs rich in nudibranchs, octopus, and seahorses—ideal for macro lovers and night diving.
To reach Malapascua Island, start by flying into Mactan-Cebu International Airport (CEB), the closest gateway to the island. From the airport, take a private transfer or public transport (bus or shared van) to Maya Port in northern Cebu—a journey of around 3–4 hours. Private transfers offer a seamless trip, often including van and boat arrangements. From Maya Port, board a boat to Malapascua Island; public boats run until 5:30 PM daily and take about 30–45 minutes. Private boats are available outside regular hours. To avoid delays, plan to arrive at Maya Port before the last public ferry. For alternative routes, travelers can fly into Cebu and transfer via Tacloban, though this option takes longer. With no direct airport access, this land-and-sea route is the most reliable way to reach Malapascua’s famous waters and enjoy its quiet, white-sand beaches.
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