Threshers, Mating Mandarins, Seahorses & Bisayang Nudis
This trip is definitely one for the books! On the first five minutes of our very first dive at 3pm (we were expecting to see Mantas or Eagle Rays) at Monad Shoal, a Thresher Shark appeared, circling about 8-10 meters away from us for a full 12 minutes ending with a pass just right above us. The Thresher we saw was around 10-12 ft in size and has been one of my most fascinating experiences as a diver. I didn't even care to take a good shot of it as I was awestruck with what I saw. Sad my camera now has difficulty in taking videos but our buddy Jonji Borja managed to get a couple of great pics of the Thresher as it made its pass right above us prior saying goodbye. Visibility at Monad Shoal is poor, averaging around 5-8 meters and there is a line which prevents divers from crossing over, making it hard to get good shots of it unless the Thresher decides to enter the area where divers are allowed to see it. Below is a photo showing the designated area with the line in place just by the edge of Monad shoal. Also worth sharing is our second visit to Monad Shoal the next day, that while we missed seeing the Thresher below (there were around 30+ divers at the designated viewing area at the time) as we finished our dives, A Thresher managed to leap around 3-5 ft into the air.... twice. We were all taken aback by the awesome moment and we weren't prepared to take any shots but it certainly was an amazing experience, seeing Threshers leap from the water.
While the Threshers at Monad Shoal are the main draw, Gato Island proved to be equally spectacular...macro and pelagic opportunities are omnipresent juxtaposed great cave swim throughs. We saw around 15 different nudibranches in two dives, a catshark, a bamboo shark and several HUGE white tip sharks... placing Gato Island as one of my most favorite dive sites in my lifetime. Colorful and prolific are the two words to describe Gato
Macro life was excellent on all dive sites but The Lighthouse proved to be very interesting, as Mandarin Fishes aboud at sunset... saw various pairs mating a total of 5 times in less than 20 minutes. It was a Mandarin lovapalooza down there, and you'll have an almost guaranteed opportunity to capture love making Mandarin fishes plus seeing Seahorses are almost guaranteed, saw 4 different species in just one dive.
Malapascua is one of the most 'complete' dives you'll ever do in you're lifetime. The island topside is also enchanting with its powder fine white sand and Turquoise waters, its one place which will blow you away. I miss it much already
further reading on Malapascua http://www.funsundivetravel.com/
While the Threshers at Monad Shoal are the main draw, Gato Island proved to be equally spectacular...macro and pelagic opportunities are omnipresent juxtaposed great cave swim throughs. We saw around 15 different nudibranches in two dives, a catshark, a bamboo shark and several HUGE white tip sharks... placing Gato Island as one of my most favorite dive sites in my lifetime. Colorful and prolific are the two words to describe Gato
Macro life was excellent on all dive sites but The Lighthouse proved to be very interesting, as Mandarin Fishes aboud at sunset... saw various pairs mating a total of 5 times in less than 20 minutes. It was a Mandarin lovapalooza down there, and you'll have an almost guaranteed opportunity to capture love making Mandarin fishes plus seeing Seahorses are almost guaranteed, saw 4 different species in just one dive.
Malapascua is one of the most 'complete' dives you'll ever do in you're lifetime. The island topside is also enchanting with its powder fine white sand and Turquoise waters, its one place which will blow you away. I miss it much already
further reading on Malapascua http://www.funsundivetravel.com/
