The World’s Only Shark of Its Kind (Malapascua Thresher Sharks)

My First Encounter with Malapascua

My story with Malapascua dates back to 2018. At that time, I had already spent more than three years working in the Maldives as a professional dive instructor and guide. Feeling that I had accumulated sufficient experience and industry connections, I decided to step away from employment and fully dedicate myself to building my own brand, MaxDives.

Before returning from the Maldives to Hong Kong, I wanted to take a short break and enjoy a leisure dive trip. Coincidentally, one of my students invited me to join a journey to Malapascua in search of thresher sharks. I agreed almost without hesitation. And just like that, the three of us set off for “Mama’s Island,” marking my very first visit to the Philippines—and the beginning of a truly memorable shark-diving adventure.

In Search of Thresher Sharks

Looking back, finding thresher sharks in those days was far from easy.

We would wake up around four in the morning, departing in complete darkness. Upon reaching Monad Shoal—their well-known cleaning station—we descended on Nitrox to depths of 25 meters or more, waiting patiently in silence for a glimpse of these elegant creatures. The conditions were far from ideal: deep water, low light, limited visibility, and no guarantee of a sighting. With artificial light strictly prohibited, capturing a clear photograph of a thresher shark was already considered the perfect combination of technical skill and sheer luck.

Beyond the sharks, I was fortunate to dive extensively with a veteran guide from a long-established local dive shop, exploring many of the island’s surrounding dive sites. The corals, fish life, and variety of macro creatures in the area were equally breathtaking. Perhaps it was during this time that I quietly fell in love with this simple yet captivating island, unknowingly planting a seed in my heart.

The Island After the Pandemic

Five years passed before I returned.

As a destination heavily dependent on tourism, Malapascua barely survived the devastating years of the global pandemic. While the island endured, many businesses were not as fortunate, unable to survive the harsh reality of interrupted cash flow.

Ironically, this crisis created an unexpected opportunity for me. In April 2023, through a series of unplanned events, I found myself becoming involved with The Shark’s Tail Dive Resort. What followed was a complex and eventful journey—one that deserves its own story on another day.

“When you gaze at a thresher shark, the thresher shark gazes back at you.” - Max

The Remarkable Comeback of the Thresher Sharks

Without diving into the reasons just yet, let me focus on the present reality.

By the end of 2022, a new legendary dive site—Kimud Shoal—had emerged, effectively replacing the former thresher shark sites as the crown jewel of Malapascua. This new cleaning station offers several significant advantages:

1. Much shallower viewing depth

In the past, observing thresher sharks typically required dives starting at 25 meters or deeper. At Kimud Shoal, encounters now take place at just 10 to 15 meters. This dramatically lowers the barrier for divers: Open Water divers are welcome, Nitrox is no longer essential, air consumption is reduced, bottom time is extended, and the improved natural light greatly enhances visibility and photographic results.

2. Significantly higher encounter rates

Because the cleaning station area is smaller, more thresher sharks tend to queue around the perimeter of Kimud Shoal, resulting in a noticeably higher density. Today, encounter rates are often quoted at close to 99%, making sightings highly reliable—though, of course, nature never offers absolute guarantees.

3. Closer proximity to the sharks

The thresher sharks here have become well accustomed to the presence of divers. With good buoyancy control and calm, deliberate movements, they may even approach on their own—sometimes coming within just two to three meters. Those few seconds of close-range interaction are enough to leave a lasting impression of their grace and elegance.

The only real downside is the longer boat ride, which now takes approximately 50 minutes each way. Still, for such intimate encounters with thresher sharks, this feels like a small and worthwhile trade-off.

Reflections from a Dive Resort Operator

To have the opportunity to be a stakeholder in a small dive resort at one of the world’s only reliable thresher shark destinations is both a privilege and a responsibility. It allows me to put years of accumulated diving philosophy into practice—an experience that perfectly reflects my belief that “everything happens for a reason, and always for growth.”

Whether as a diver or as a business operator, I deeply value this rare and timely opportunity. After all, no one can say with certainty whether thresher sharks will continue to visit tomorrow. Finding the balance between conservation and commercial reality will be one of my most important challenges over the next five to ten years.

I warmly welcome you to visit the island yourself, to witness the growth of both The Shark’s Tail and Malapascua. Let us slip beneath the surface together and admire these graceful little sharks in their natural home.