The Dive Profile
Thresher shark dives at Malapascua are unlike anything else in the world. The schedule, depth, and gas mix are all tuned for maximum encounter time at the cleaning station.
- 4:30 AM hotel pickup — boats depart the island before sunrise to reach Monad Shoal as light breaks over the Visayan Sea.
- 30m maximum depth at the cleaning station, where thresher sharks circle slowly while reef fish remove parasites from their skin and fins.
- Nitrox (EAN32) is highly recommended: the extra bottom time at depth means more minutes with the sharks before ascending to your safety stop.
- Two-tank morning trip typical — first dive at the shoal for threshers, second dive at a nearby site such as Gato Island or a local reef.
- Daily sightings year-round at Monad Shoal, with peak visibility and calm seas from March through June.
Certification Requirements
Monad Shoal is a deep, open-ocean dive. For your safety and the safety of the group, minimum certifications apply.
- verifiedAdvanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent) — required for the 30m depth profile at Monad Shoal.
- verifiedDeep Dive specialty or logged experience below 25m — accepted in place of Advanced Open Water at divemaster discretion.
- verifiedOpen Water divers may join local reef dives but cannot descend to the thresher cleaning station.
- verifiedNitrox certification recommended if diving on enriched air — we offer the SDI Nitrox course on-island.
- verifiedMinimum 20 logged dives preferred for Kimod Shoal hammerhead season (December–May).
Monad Shoal vs Kimod Shoal
Both sites sit off Malapascua's northeast coast, but they offer distinctly different experiences. Most visitors come for Monad Shoal — the daily thresher shark cleaning station.
Monad Shoal (Kimud Shoal)
About 40 minutes by boat from Malapascua, Monad Shoal — also known locally as Kimud Shoal — is the world's most famous thresher shark cleaning station. Thresher sharks arrive at dawn, circling the plateau at 15–30m while cleaner wrasse and butterflyfish work their magic. This is the dive that put Malapascua on the map: reliable, daily, and unforgettable.
Kimod Shoal
A separate deep-water pinnacle farther offshore, Kimod Shoal is Malapascua's hammerhead season site (December through May). Schooling scalloped hammerheads pass through the blue at 30–40m — a thrilling complement to the daily thresher experience, reserved for experienced divers comfortable at depth.
Book Your Thresher Shark Dive
Monad Shoal dawn dives fill quickly in peak season. Reserve your spot with Deep Blue Center — gear, divemaster, and free hotel pickup included.