Dive with Malapascua's famous thresher sharks! Malapascua is known as the only place in the world where thresher sharks can be seen every day. Sightings have been amazing, the best in the 20 years we have been here. 

In recent times we have been getting sightings throughout the morning and so usually do a double dive for thresher sharks. And since late 2022 we have been getting amazing sightings a new site, Kimud Shoal, as well as at the original site, Monad Shoal. The schedule varies day-to-day, and also sometimes we have 3-dive trips or occasionally 1-dive trips.

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We have a very special spot where we dive for threshers and we believe it is the best shark experience you will get on Malapascua! Let me tell you why!  

• Most other shops go to one of two very small cleaning stations to see  the sharks. Here the divers stay in the same spot and kneel behind a rope waiting for a shark to appear. There are usually 4-8 boats at each spot so you will see a lot of other divers and there is not much to see if you do not see a shark.  

• TSD dives in a different area, where there are rarely any other boats and it has many cleaning stations. So it’s never too busy.  We have spectacular, often close up sightings almost every day, in a much more private setting. It’s is also more interesting as it’s a “swimming” dive with the chance to see many other creatures like frogfish and ghost pipefish as well as other pelagics like rays and other sharks!

• At the old site, you would be lucky to see more than one shark in a dive. Now it’s not unusual to see 10 or more and sometimes several at the same time! 

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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. Although they can be 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.

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