4 days / 3 nights · 7 dives
From AUD 398 / person
- DAY 1 · Arrive and make a mandarin fish dusk dive
- DAY 2 · Early-morning shark dives
- DAY 3 · Three dives around Gato Island
Private journey
Malapascua Thresher Shark Escape
Early mornings with thresher sharks, slow evenings with mandarin fish.
The journey
Settle into Malapascua in the Philippines for a dive-focused island stay. Our suggested six-day, five-night journey combines 12 dives across Kimod Shoal, Monad Shoal, local macro sites and Gato Island, arranged by Aqualy with local dive partner Fish Buddies. Dates, room choices and diving pace can be tailored, with shorter four-day or five-day stays also available.
- Duration
- Suggested 6 days / 5 nights
- Group size
- Up to 12 divers
- Diving
- Suggested 12 dives: 2 local, 1 dusk, 6 shark-site and 3 Gato dives
- Languages
- English / Chinese
What shapes this journey
- Early-morning thresher shark dives at Kimod Shoal, with Monad Shoal shark dives also planned
- Gato Island reefs, macro life and reef sharks, subject to conditions and departure numbers
- Lighthouse mandarin fish dusk dive alongside local dive sites
- Flexible private dates for groups of up to 12, with adjustable stays and dive counts
Stay and connections
Malapascua Legend Resort; suggested Superior Standard twin-share room with breakfast, with garden/pool-view and sea-view options on request
Cebu (CEB) → Maya Port → Malapascua; return transfers can be arranged
Compare plans
All prices are per person, sharing a Superior Standard room, with breakfast and environmental fees for the planned diving days. Transfers, equipment, nitrox, lunches and dinners are extra.
5 days / 4 nights · 9 dives
From AUD 505 / person
- DAY 2 · Two local dives and a mandarin fish dusk dive
- DAY 3 · Early-morning shark dives
- DAY 4 · Three dives around Gato Island
6 days / 5 nights · 12 dives
From AUD 662 / person
- DAY 2 · Two local dives and a mandarin fish dusk dive
- DAY 3 · Early-morning shark dives
- DAY 4 · Three dives around Gato Island
- DAY 5 · Return to the shark sites and complete 12 dives
The four-day plan includes a dusk dive on arrival day. Arrive on Malapascua early and review transfer and flight times with us first.
A day-by-day outline
Final routes, dive sites and activities follow the confirmed itinerary and operator decisions.
4 days / 3 nights · 7 dives
DAY 1Arrive and make a mandarin fish dusk dive
Arrive on Malapascua early enough for check-in, certification checks, equipment preparation and a dive briefing before one Lighthouse mandarin fish dusk dive. Consider arriving in Cebu the previous evening and taking an early transfer. Same-day island arrivals must be reviewed in advance; if the dusk dive cannot be reached, the itinerary, dive count or stay must be revised and requoted.
DAY 2Early-morning shark dives
Leave early for three planned dives across Kimod Shoal and Monad Shoal in search of threshers and other sharks. The dive centre confirms the site mix and order. Spend the afternoon resting or reviewing photographs.
DAY 3Three dives around Gato Island
Plan three dives around Gato Island for reefs, nudibranchs and reef sharks. This trip depends on departure numbers and sea conditions. Bring lunch or request it separately; if Gato cannot operate, discuss suitable alternative sites with the centre.
DAY 4Leave Malapascua via Cebu
Check out after breakfast and return via Maya Port to Cebu, with return transfers available separately. No diving is planned today. Confirm flight timing with the dive centre based on your actual final dive and travel plan.
5 days / 4 nights · 9 dives
DAY 1Arrive and settle into island life
Travel from Cebu via Maya Port to Malapascua and check into your hotel. Meet the Fish Buddies team, review certification and equipment, and discuss the dive plan. No diving is planned today. Road and boat transfers can be booked separately, subject to arrival times and conditions.
DAY 2Two local dives and a mandarin fish dusk dive
Make two dives at local reef, sand-slope or macro sites selected for your experience and conditions. After a break, head to Lighthouse for a mandarin fish dusk dive, for three dives in total.
DAY 3Early-morning shark dives
Leave early for three planned dives across Kimod Shoal and Monad Shoal in search of threshers and other sharks. The dive centre confirms the site mix and order. Spend the afternoon resting or reviewing photographs.
DAY 4Three dives around Gato Island
Plan three dives around Gato Island for reefs, nudibranchs and reef sharks. This trip depends on departure numbers and sea conditions. Bring lunch or request it separately; if Gato cannot operate, discuss suitable alternative sites with the centre.
DAY 5Leave Malapascua via Cebu
Check out after breakfast and return via Maya Port to Cebu, with return transfers available separately. No diving is planned today. Confirm flight timing with the dive centre based on your actual final dive and travel plan.
6 days / 5 nights · 12 dives
DAY 1Arrive and settle into island life
Travel from Cebu via Maya Port to Malapascua and check into your hotel. Meet the Fish Buddies team, review certification and equipment, and discuss the dive plan. No diving is planned today. Road and boat transfers can be booked separately, subject to arrival times and conditions.
DAY 2Two local dives and a mandarin fish dusk dive
Make two dives at local reef, sand-slope or macro sites selected for your experience and conditions. After a break, head to Lighthouse for a mandarin fish dusk dive, for three dives in total.
DAY 3Early-morning shark dives
Leave early for three planned dives across Kimod Shoal and Monad Shoal in search of threshers and other sharks. The dive centre confirms the site mix and order. Spend the afternoon resting or reviewing photographs.
DAY 4Three dives around Gato Island
Plan three dives around Gato Island for reefs, nudibranchs and reef sharks. This trip depends on departure numbers and sea conditions. Bring lunch or request it separately; if Gato cannot operate, discuss suitable alternative sites with the centre.
DAY 5Return to the shark sites and complete 12 dives
Return for three more shark-site dives, with the day’s Kimod Shoal / Monad Shoal combination confirmed by the centre. After completing the suggested 12 dives, rinse equipment, rest and review departure timing against your flights.
DAY 6Leave Malapascua via Cebu
Check out after breakfast and return via Maya Port to Cebu, with return transfers available separately. No diving is planned today. Confirm flight timing with the dive centre based on your actual final dive and travel plan.
What to budget for
4 days / 3 nights · 7 dives
- Superior Standard room: AUD 80 × 3 nights ÷ 2 guests
- AUD 120
- One mandarin fish dusk dive
- AUD 40
- Three shark-site dives, including shark conservation fees
- AUD 111
- Three Gato Island dives
- AUD 107
- Malapascua environmental fee: AUD 7 × 3 diving days
- AUD 21
- Total per person
- AUD 398
From price per person: 3 nights in a Superior Standard twin-share room, 7 dives and 3 diving days of environmental fees. Transfers, rental gear, nitrox, lunches and dinners are extra.
5 days / 4 nights · 9 dives
- Superior Standard room: AUD 80 × 4 nights ÷ 2 guests
- AUD 160
- Two local dives
- AUD 68
- One mandarin fish dusk dive
- AUD 40
- Three shark-site dives, including shark conservation fees
- AUD 111
- Three Gato Island dives
- AUD 107
- Malapascua environmental fee: AUD 7 × 3 diving days
- AUD 21
- Total per person
- AUD 505
From price per person: 4 nights in a Superior Standard twin-share room, 9 dives and 3 diving days of environmental fees. Transfers, rental gear, nitrox, lunches and dinners are extra.
6 days / 5 nights · 12 dives
- Superior Standard room: AUD 80 × 5 nights ÷ 2 guests
- AUD 200
- Two local dives
- AUD 68
- One mandarin fish dusk dive
- AUD 40
- Two 3-dive shark days at AUD 111 each, including shark conservation fees
- AUD 222
- Three Gato Island dives
- AUD 107
- Malapascua environmental fee: AUD 7 × 4 diving days
- AUD 28
- Total per person
- AUD 662
From price per person: five nights in a Superior Standard twin-share room, 12 dives and four diving days of environmental fees. Transfers, rental gear, nitrox, lunches and dinners are extra.
Included
- Three, four or five nights at Malapascua Legend Resort with twin-share accommodation and breakfast, according to your chosen plan
- 7, 9 or 12 certified-diver dives according to your chosen plan, with the dive mix shown in its daily itinerary
- Dive boats and local guiding for the agreed dive plan
- Daily Malapascua environmental fees itemised in your quote, and shark conservation fees included in the shark-dive rate
To confirm or arrange separately
- International and domestic flights, visas, travel and dive insurance
- Return road transfers between Cebu and Maya and boat transfers to Malapascua; available separately
- Maya Port arrival fee and local charges outside the confirmed quotation
- Lunches, dinners, drinks, gratuities and personal expenses
- Equipment rental, nitrox, torches, dive computers and camera hire
- Single occupancy, room upgrades, private boats/guides and additional island trips
Inclusions, local taxes, currency, payment and cancellation terms are confirmed in your formal quotation.
Before you go
Getting here
Fly into Cebu (CEB), travel by road to Maya Port, then continue by boat to Malapascua. Allow around four to six hours for a pre-arranged private road-and-boat transfer. Aim to arrive in Cebu before noon for a same-day island connection. Late arrivals, delays or sea conditions may require an overnight stop in Cebu or near the port; transfers and extra stays are quoted separately.
Departure numbers and private services
Aqualy private travel groups have a maximum of 12 people. Standard dive boats may be shared with other divers; an exclusive boat is not included by default. Gato and Kimod Shoal departures require four divers under the partner arrangements, and mandarin fish dusk dives require two. Shared departures or alternative sites can be discussed if numbers are short. Private guides and boats are quoted separately.
Dive planning and marine life
Shark dives involve early starts. The dive centre sets departure times and site order according to conditions and operations. Thresher sharks, tiger sharks and other wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. Follow the centre’s restrictions on flash and other photography lights at shark sites. Gato swim-throughs are optional and require a separate assessment of experience and applicable qualifications.
Equipment, meals and rooms
Full gear is available at AUD 15/day, dive computers at AUD 12/day and torches at AUD 5/dive. Appropriately certified divers can request 32% nitrox at AUD 10/tank. Breakfast accompanies the twin-share stay; a Gato trip lunch is available separately at AUD 12/person. Lunches, dinners and drinks are outside the starting price. Garden/pool-view rooms, sea-view rooms, single occupancy and extra nights are quoted subject to availability.
Confirming your journey and departure
Share your dates, group size, certification, logged dives, recent diving, room preference and flight plans. We will confirm rooms, dive departures, the full quotation and payment/cancellation terms before finalising arrangements. Review the timing of your return flight after the final dive with the dive centre.
Is this journey right for me?
Shark dives and Gato Island require AOW or equivalent and an experience assessment; OW divers can request a separate itinerary at suitable local sites. Please share your certification, logged dives, recent diving and relevant experience. Final participation requirements are confirmed by the operator.
What equipment and documents will I need?
Passport, certification, dive log, applicable insurance documents and personal equipment. A complete list, rental availability and operator requirements will be confirmed before departure.
Can the itinerary change?
Yes. Conditions, weather, flights and operations may affect the route. Wildlife encounters cannot be guaranteed. Changes follow confirmed terms and circumstances on the day.
How are pricing, payment and cancellation confirmed?
Your travel consultant will provide a full quotation, payment details and cancellation terms before arrangements are confirmed.