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Info
🏨 Little Mermaid Dive Resort
🚐 car transfer (booked with resort)
🛥️ boat transfer (booked with resort)
Itinerary
🗓️ 5D4N in May 2017
🦈 a diving trip just to see Thresher Sharks
Day 1
1030 🛬 arrive at Cebu
1400 🚐 3.5hrs car ride airport to Maya port
1500 🛥️ 30mins boat ride to Malapascua
1600 🏝️ arrive at Malapascua Island
1630 ✅ check-in at resort
Day 2
0400 ☀️ wake up
0430 🛥️ 45mins to Monad Shoal dive site
0515 1️⃣ dive to see Thresher Shark
0600 🛥️ 45mins back to shore
0700 🍳 breakfast at resort
0930 2️⃣ dive
1115 3️⃣ dive
1230 🍴 lunch at resort
1330 💤 nap
1630 4️⃣ dive at Lighthouse dive site
1800 🍴 dinner at resort
2000 💤 sleep time
Day 3
0400 ☀️ wake up
0430 🛥️ 45mins to Monad Shoal dive site
0530 1️⃣ dive to see Thresher Shark
0730 🛥️ 45mins back to shore
0800 🍳 breakfast at resort
1000 2️⃣ dive at Gato Island
1230 🍴 lunch on boat
1400 3️⃣ dive at Gato Island
1700 🍴 dinner at resort
1900 💤 sleep time
Day 4
0400 ☀️ wake up
0430 🛥️ 45mins to Monad Shoal dive site
0530 1️⃣ dive to see Thresher Shark
0730 🛥️ 45mins back to shore
0800 🍳 breakfast at resort
1030 2️⃣ dive
1230 🍴 lunch on boat
1345 3️⃣ dive
1700 🍴 dinner at resort
1900 💤 sleep time
Day 5 ☀️ slept in ✅ check-out
1200 🛥️ 30mins boat ride to Maya Port
1300 🚐 3.5hrs car ride Maya port to airport 🛫 departed home
About diving with Thresher Sharks
Dive site 📍 Monad Shoal
Depth 〽 25-30m
Water temperature 🌡️ ≈27°C
Number of dives 1️⃣0️⃣
🦈 Thresher Sharks, also known as the Alopias Vulpinus, are shy and difficult to approach. Its name came from its unique unusual large tail (caudal fin) which in most cases are as long as the shark itself. Amazing right?
The dive site 📍 Monad Shoal, 🛥️ 45mins from Malapascua Island, is a seamount rises from a depth of 200m and terminates 15m below the surface. Also is where 🦈 Thresher Sharks can be sighted all year round. They swim up to relatively shallows to be clean early in the ☀️ morning. It’s their “cleaning station” and that’s why dives start at 4am❗
Dive boats departed at ≈4am and divers jumped into the 🤿 water by ≈5am. Descended to ≈25-30m, 2 areas with guided line where divers kneeled and patiently waited for Thresher Sharks to appear.
📸 Few snapshots below, click here for trip album or feel free to continue 👀 reading.
I was a bit anxious when it swam closer and closer to me. Saw its big eyes staring back at me and its long tail. When you’re stilled, it got more comfortable and swam even closer to me, ≈½m away I would say. I loved it thou, an amazing close encounter with Thresher Sharks.
📹 Few videos below, click here for trip album or feel free to continue 👀 reading.
Read about this trip
🦈 Thresher Sharks, also known as the Alopias Vulpinus, are shy and difficult to approach. Its name came from its unique unusual large tail (caudal fin) which in most cases are as long as the shark itself. Amazing right? That was the purpose of this trip. One of the few trips I didn’t do the planning, was done by my friend. Someone like me who I influenced to end up loving scuba diving and the underwater world. or should I say SHARKS❗
Where to stay❓
Stayed with 🏨 Little Mermaid Dive Resort, was quite descent for a 3-star and an inexpensive. Booked everything with them — airport return transfer (🚐 private van and 🛥️ boat ride) and the dives. Their dive boat and equipment were kept in good condition. Our divemasters and divers were great. The best part was the flexibility of scheduling our days. There’re many other options and more expensive of course. Was good for us given a tight budget.
How to get there❓
✈️ We flew to Cebu, picked up at the airport, got on our 🚐 private van and began our 3.5hrs commute to Maya Port. Then, another 30mins 🛥️ boat ride to 🏝️ Malapascua Island. And the last boat departs at 5pm. As you can see the itinerary above, our daily schedule began at ☀️ ≈4am and that’s for everyone who came to see Thresher Sharks. Why? 👀 keep reading
🦈 Diving with Thresher Sharks
The dive site 📍 Monad Shoal, 🛥️ 45mins from Malapascua Island, is a seamount rises from a depth of 200m and terminates 15m below the surface. Also is where 🦈 Thresher Sharks can be sighted all year round. They swim up to relatively shallows to be clean early in the ☀️ morning. It’s their “cleaning station” and that’s why dives start at 4am❗
Dive boats departed at ≈4am and divers jumped into the 🤿 water by ≈5am. Descended to ≈25-30m, 2 areas with guided line where divers kneeled and patiently waited for Thresher Sharks to appear.
📸 Few snapshots below, click here for trip album or feel free to continue 👀 reading.
I was a bit anxious when it swam closer and closer to me. Saw its big eyes staring back at me and its long tail. When you’re stilled, it got more comfortable and swam even closer to me, ≈½m away I would say. I loved it thou, an amazing close encounter with Thresher Sharks.
📹 Few videos below, click here for trip album or feel free to continue 👀 reading.
Food & drinks❓
Ate most of our meals at the resort, probably because we were too exhausted to explore other restaurants and it was convenient — 🍴 eat, 💤 nap, 🤿 dive and repeat. There’re restaurants options, think we treated ourselves at a descent one on the last day.
Probably the most healthiest days ever, woke up at ⏰ 4am and slept at 💤 7pm. A total of 10 dives and pretty much exhausted at the end of each day. 💤 Definitely took naps in between dives every day. ⛱️ Last bit of it was just chilling on the beach, while we waited out the 24hrs before taking our flight back. Yes❗ Return commute was the same, 🛥️ 30mins boat ride to Maya Port and 🚐 3.5hrs car ride from Maya port to Cebu airport.
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