Exotic are the local diving exprts on Malapascua being the first dive resort and Nitrox station on the island. The resort’s own in-house PADI 5 Star Gold Palm dive center has a reputation built on excellent personalized dive services. Exotic’s experienced crew has been exploring this relatively new and exciting dive area around North Cebu since 1997. Our international staff offers excellent diving education and prime dive excursions. Experience exciting wall diving, admire the beauty of sharks and other big pelagic species. Explore ship wrecks and dive the famous Gato Island with the island's pioneer dive resort. Our crew is committed to giving you an unforgettable, exciting dive holiday. Our dive resort is accredited by the PADI International Resort Association and the Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving
From Sharks to Nudibranch, Malapascua is known as one of the best shark diving locations in the Philippines. Some of the sharks seen here include White Tips, Black Tips, Bamboo, Nurse, Cat, Hammerheads and the magnificent Thresher Shark. Malapascua’s Monad Shoal is known as the only place in the world where Threshers can be closely observed on a daily basis. The first encounters with the famous Thresher Shark and study of it’s behavior, were carried out by the Exotic staff. Later Film crew’s and Dive Magazines from all over the world came to visit our resort just to see this phenomenon. Other large pelagic seen on Monad are Manta rays, devil ray’s, Hammerhead, etc depending on the season. Also, for macro, Malapascua is world class. A recent guest wrote : “I have been diving all over the world, but this has to be the Nudibranch, Pipefish and Frogfish capital of the world”.
Our dive shop features:
Please Note: If you are thinking about diving in Malapascua, you should always consider “Exotic” as your first option! Exotic is the only Dive operator on Malapascua which can offer you an “ all in one dive package “. We have our own Accommodation, Dive Shop, Restaurant/Bar/ Espresso coffee corner, Land & sea Transportation, Travel service, Dive Safari boat, Internet Café and Convenience Store. Therefore we don’t have to rely on any third party for our customer service. This means we can always offer the best costumer service for the most competitive price on the Island. Please take into consideration, that its not only the price, but also the service that you receive!
Movies in mpeg format made during dives around Malapascua Island
Malapascua IslandNorth point- Is used as our “ house reef”, although it takes a short boat ride. The rock formation and small canyons on the northern part of Malapascua are covered with beautiful hard and soft corals. A wide variety of reef fish, different kind of rays, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, shells can be found here as well as huge crabs. This place is also known for its beautiful night dive possibilities. (max. depth 23 meter) Japanese landing vessel- A shallow dive on the almost complete destroyed landing vessel (max depth 10meter)
Gato IslandThe island is a protected marine sanctuary. It has become famous as a breeding place for the “black & white banded” sea snakes and also for his sleeping sharks. The island has spectacular caves and rock formations around the island. This steep walls and rocks are covered by beautiful colored gorgonian sea fans. On the different dive spots around the island you can find really lots of nudibranchs as well as seahorses, shells, shrimps, sea snakes, scorpion fish, frogfish, big cuttlefish, stingrays, nurse-, whitetip-, reef-, bamboo sharks, schools of squid, tuna and snappers etc. You could say that Gato has it all from seldom nudibranchs and seahorses to shark encounters on almost every dive. It’s also really an underwater photographers heaven for macro as well as big fish. Beside 3 underwater caves there is a tunnel system which runs under the northern part of the island starting at 5 meter with a large exit at 14 meter, it contains all kinds of interesting sea life like lobsters, crabs etc. and even sleeping white tips. Only the more experienced divers can dive the tunnel and a torch is always needed. (max. depth 27 meter & average depth 16 meter)
Monad Shoal This dive spot is a big sunken island rising up from the ocean floor. The flat reef top is around 15 meter and the steep drop off is going down to approximately 200 meter. It has spectacular overhangs and walls, disappearing in the endless deep blue ocean. Big schools of tuna, jacks and barracudas can be seen here. Sharks are common in this area and more occasionally even hammerheads. Visibility can reach 30 meter. But one of the real special of this place is the close encounter with the breathtaking Thresher Shark they will circle in front of you acting like cats with there long tails waving around. Another highlights are the Manta Ray who can be seen here almost the year around, although the best chance to see them is probably from may until January. Another comparable shoal south of Monad although much smaller is Kimot.
Calanggaman Island On our way to this real little bounty island our boat is often escorted by schools of Dolphins. It’s a little paradise island with only few inhabitants, which makes a perfect stop between two dives. Also a perfect place for none divers who just want stroll around and sunbathe. Apart from this island there are two nearby shoals with similar profiles: Ormoc shoal Nuñez shoal All the sites have shallow reef tops at 10 meter leading to drop off going down to more than 200 meter, caves and overhangs with nice sponges, corals and gorgonian all varieties of reef fish, eagle rays, sharks and occasional turtle. Visibility can reach 30 meter .
This is a big Manila/Cebu ferry that went down 1984 in a typhoon and is known as "The most beautiful wreck in the Visayas". The around 100 meter long ferry is lying on its portside and it can be entered safe in some areas. The wreck is partly overgrown with hard and beautiful colored soft corals. Scorpion fish, lionfish, and other typical wreck fishes find already a place here. Big black spotted stingrays are usually around. The stern is bottoming at around 16 meter (max. depth 35 meter)
Chocolate Island A little rocky island between Malapascua and the north point of Cebu mainland. It has gently sloping sides were you can find nice coral heads and lot of soft corals. There are many small reef fish and occasionally eagle rays. (max. depth 18 meter) Tapilon Japanese wreck This is a heavily torpedoed World War II Cargo vessel broken into 3 major pieces and is resting in a depth between 20 to 30 meter with a lots of wreck debris scattered all around. Its possible to see tiles on the wreck wall, steel cable, ladders and more, also lot of moray eels, scorpion fish, flatworms and occasional huge frogfish.
This surprisingly intact Japanese World War II vessel about 60 meter long is standing up right with the bow bottoming at 54 meter and the stern bottoming at around 40 meter. The wreck is overgrown with beautiful corals and even the propeller and anchors are still there. The wreck has also an excellent fish life; massive scorpion fish, eagle rays, large groupers and shoals of barracuda tuna and snappers are found along it. This is very spooky but excellent wreck dive is strictly limited to very experience and qualified divers only. Maripipi A real frontier dive destination to the reefs around this beautiful volcanic island. This dive trip is offered as a little overnight safari. This island has a very good corals and all kinds of reef fish. On the coral rubble sloping, black tip-, reef sharks are common, occasional manta and eagle rays. Dolphins are also around this island.
Map of all divespots round Malapascua Island Wij work according PADI standards
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