Shark diving with the
Thresher Sharks of Malapascua

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!

About Thresher Sharks

The thresher shark, or Alopias pelagicus is a type of mackerel shark or Lamniformes. In German it is known as Der Gemeine Fuchshai, or fox shark. The threshers grow up to a length of 5-6 meters, about half of which is the huge scythe-like tail for which it is named.

Thresher sharks normally live in deep water and are nocturnal (night creatures), so are not often seen by divers in most parts of the world. Although they are seen occasionally in other locations, we know of nowhere else they can be seen so regularly. They have very small, sharp teeth and very big eyes to see in the dark.They eat squid and schooling fish such as herring and mackerel and they use their tails to "corral" the fish into denser schools. The tail may also be used to stun the fish.They will sometimes "breach" and can jump completely out of the water.

Sadly, like most other shark species, the number of thresher sharks in the world is declining due to over fishing for their fins and meat. Monad Shoal has recently been made a marine park to help protect these creatures.

Why are they here?

Monad Shoal near Malapascua is a sunken island at 18-24m whose sides drop off to 230m. The thresher sharks live and hunt in this deep water for most of the day, but in the early morning, before it gets too light, they come up to the Shoal, attracted by its cleaning stations. Here they have a symbiotic (mutually beneficial) relationship with the small fish called cleaning wrasse which eat dead skin and bacteria from the shark's body, its gills, and even inside its mouth. Because the cleaning benefits these huge animals, the sharks would never think of eating the wrasse as an early morning snack. The cleaning stations are like a carwash for fish!

What time do we dive?

The Thresher Shark Divers team has tried to find the best time to dive with thresher sharks by extensive trial and error and a lot of experimentation. Our divemasters and instructors collect daily information on shark sightings and we record these details. So far, we have found that the best time to dive with the sharks is anywhere between sunrise and 9am. During this time period you have a good chance of seeing a shark, but as with most diving there is also an element of luck.

There are all kinds of superstitions as to what will help you see a shark. One of these is that the first boat at the dive site will get the best sightings. We have found this to be false.

To minimize diver impact on the site and to maximize every diver's chance of seeing a shark, the Dive Shop Association of Malapascua, spearheaded by TSD, has recently decided on a protocol for diving with the sharks that will be followed by everyone. Each dive shop has a daily schedule and the time we dive changes each day - either 5am, 5.30am, 6am or 6.30am. This means there are less divers on the site at any one time. Since its inception in April 2008 shark sightings have increased dramatically for everyone.

If any of our customers wish to go at a later time this can also be arranged.

BREAKING NEWS!!! Incredible thresher shark sightings on Malapascua!!! There is a new dive site on Monad Shoal that we have called Shark Wall, that we have been diving recently. Sightings have been the best we have ever had during our 9 years experience on Malapascua Island!

When is the best month?

We see thresher sharks year round. It is rare to have a day when no sharks have been sighted at Monad at all although it is not always the case that every dive groups sees them on the same dive. Thresher sightings vary each year, so it hard to predict the best month. Traditionally the best months are July-October and the January-February are not so good, but for the 2007-2008 season this has been reversed. During 2008-2009 there were no seasonal patterns and sightings were great year round. Sightings since November 2007 have been the best in several years so now is a great time to come.

Diving with Thresher Sharks on Malapascua

The sharks are not dangerous to humans and will swim over the side of the shoal if startled. Threshers like to circle, sometimes in twos and threes, so if we see a shark as it is swimming away, it is likely the shark(s) will soon come back into view. On our dives, we move slowly, and if we see a shark, we stop and wait. If we stay still and make no sudden movements, sometimes the sharks can come so close you could almost touch them. We never swim after the sharks or use camera strobes as this will scare them away.

As Monad Shoal has a fairly deep, square profile, we recommend that you use Nitrox and double your bottom time at Shark Point. If you double your bottom time, you double your chance of seeing sharks!

Monad Shoal is an advanced dive site, so if you are Open Water certified you will be required to go with an instructor. Depending on your previous experience you may be required to do a checkout dive. Please contact us for more details.

Please note: camera strobes and flashes are not allowed as per marine sanctuary rules.

What else can you see on the shark dive?

Sharks are not the only ones to benefit from the cleaning stations. The wrasse also attract other pelagics. Manta rays and devil rays are often seen. Schools of devil rays have been more prolific this year than ever before. Occasionally, other species of shark will be seen such as hammerhead sharks and whitetip sharks. January-April is especially good for hammerheads. The shoal is home to a huge diversity of species: it is a great dive by itself - batfish, flutemouths, barracuda, tuna, mantis shrimp, pipefish, scorpionfish, free-swimming lionfish, moorish idols, schooling bannerfish, unicornfish, squid, octopus and various moray eels. You will often see these fish being cleaned as well and because they stay so still and are so preoccupied it is a great chance to observe them up close.

Thresher shark courtesy of Kelvin Aitken, Marine Themes Pty

More info on thresher sharks from The Shark Side of Life