A 5-day trip built around Thresher Shark encounters
and exploring Malapascua’s incredible macro subjects.
May 28-June 1, 2026 based in Ocean Vida Malapascua & Diving with Sea Explorers.
Dates
May 28 - June 1, 2026
Duration
5 Days (2.5 Diving Days + 2 Travel)
Total Dives
10
Airport of Arrival / Departure
Cebu, Philippines
Travel Details from Airport
- 3-4 hours van ride to Maya Port
- 45 minute boat ride from Maya Port to Malapascua Island
Group Size
8 divers plus expedition leader (Non-divers welcome)
Accommodation
Ocean Vida & Sea Explorers Malapascua
Rooms
Twin sharing Deluxe AC Rooms
Diving Difficulty
Beginner-Advanced
Water Temperature
29 to31 degrees Celsius
Required Dive Certification:
Open Water Certification
Nitrox Highly Recommended
Minimum Required Number of Dives
20 (or comparable experience)
Recommended Training:
Deep dives, Nitrox dives, low-light dives, shallow penetration cave dives
Recommended Gear:
Wide angle lenses and domes for Thresher dives, macro lens and port, two strobes, Focus light with red filter for Mandarin fish dive
MALAPASCUA ISLAND
Located 45-minutes (by boat) off the northern tip of Cebu Island, Malapascua Island is world-famous for its daily sightings of the beautiful Thresher Sharks at Kimud Shoal. Early each morning, these graceful sharks known for their long caudal fins (tail fins) rise up after hunting from the depths to get cleaned by cleaner wrasse in the many cleaning stations dotting Kimud Shoal.
Divers jump in the water early in the morning to wait for the Thresher sharks to appear. Encounters with the Thresher sharks happen at all points of Kimud shoal, and the calmest, quietest divers normally get the closest encounters!
At the same time, Malapscua is also known for amazing macro dives and Mandarin fish encounters.
Malapascua offers a stunning variety of encounters that divers--especially underwater photographers and filmmakers—will surely enjoy.
GETTING TO MALAPASCUA
The easiest way to get here is by private transport. Evolution picks up the group at the airport and brings us right to the resort (arrival in Cebu by 1.30pm latest).
The transfer starts with a van right from the CEB airport all the way north to the Maya port (3-4 hours). A boat will then take us from Maya port to Malapascua in around 45 minutes.
RESORT
Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort in Malapascua is centrally located and offers high standard Sea view and Garden view rooms.
All rooms invite guests with a relaxing atmosphere, including a private terrace or balcony with cozy couches which are beautifully decorated with abaca and mahogany furniture.
Rooms have a spacious bathroom with warm/cold showers.
They are all equipped with air-conditioning, fan, mini bar, safety box, and fresh towels. Tea, coffee and a bottle of water are complimentary.
Also included are daily fresh beach towels for our sunchairs located directly in front of the resort.
The resort has free WIFI, which is based on the connection to the provider’s tower on the island. Due to different weather conditions, the connection is not always 100% guaranteed.
Choose between rooms with beautiful sea view located right on the Bounty Beach or the quieter garden view rooms, just behind the reception. They also offer one family room: two garden rooms connected with a door.
The maximum capacity for the “Deluxe Sea-view and Garden-view rooms” is 3 persons (either 2 adults and 1 child or 3 adults).
DIVE CENTER
Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort does not have its own dive center, but instead we are partner with Sea Explorers: a PADI 5-Star dive center with 15 years of experience in Malapascua Island and more than 30 years in other locations around the Philippines, making it one of the leading dive centers in the country.
In 2015, the dive center was nominated by the German dive magazine “TAUCHEN” as one of the top 3 dive centers in the Indo-Pacific region.
TRIP DETAILS
In addition to the incredible diving, a 30-minute pre-trip virtual seminar, photo and video coaching, one-on-one instruction, and critique of photos will be given by Conservation and Wildlife Photographer and National Geographic Explorer Noel Guevara for photographer and videographer guests.
Photographing Thresher Sharks Primer Course (30 minutes, virtual)
Photo / Video Critique & Coaching
Day 1:
Van ride from CEB to Maya Port (3-4 hours)
Boat ride from Maya Port to Malapascua Island (45 minutes)
Check-In
Welcome dinner
Day 2:
Two (2) Early Morning Thresher Shark Dives at Kimud Shoal
Breakfast
Depart by boat to Gato Island
3rd Dive: Gato Island
Lunch
4th Dive: Gato Island
Day 3:
Two (2) Early Morning Thresher Shark Dives at Kimud Shoal
Breakfast
Lunch
3rd Dive: Secret Wall or Deep Slope (Macro)
4th Dive: Lighthouse (Mandarin Fish, Macro)
Day 4:
Two (2) Early Morning Thresher Shark Dives at Kimud Shoal
Breakfast
Lunch
Free Time
Day 5:
Morning free time
Check out 10am
Boat ride from Malapascua Island to Maya Port (45 minutes)
Van ride from Maya Port to CEB (3-4 hours)
Arrive CEB
INCLUSIONS
Four (4) Nights AC Deluxe Accommodation (Twin Sharing)
Eight (8) Local Dives (including Kimud)
Two (2) Gato Island Dives with lunch
Nitrox Tank Rentals (10 Tanks)
3 days Government Marine Fees (Malapascua + Kimud Shoal)
Round trip transport as a group (guests arriving on different flights will be charged separately for their own transportation)
EXCLUSIONS
Lunch and dinner (except for Welcome Dinner and Gato Island trip which includes lunch)
Equipment rentals
Drinks other than water and coffee and tea in rooms
Certification Courses
Airfare
Gratuity
PRICE
PACKAGE PRICE
Single Occupancy (solo room): P67,500.00 / U$1,236
Twin Sharing (sharing room): P55,000 / $1,000
PAYMENT DETAILS
50% Downpayment upon confirmation
50% Balance 45 days before the trip
NOTES
Nitrox Certification is highly recommended.
Guests may opt to enroll in Nitrox Certification during the trip. Message me for details.
Group core dive package is pre-booked and non-transferable. Skipped dives and unused tanks are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Booking the earliest flight to Cebu and a late afternoon or next day flight out from Cebu are recommended.
Transportation from Cebu to Malapasca is included in package provided the guest joins the group schedule. Separate transportation will incur separate costs. Guests arriving to Cebu earlier may choose to wait for the group schedule.
Travel and Dive insurance required.
Dives are dependent on good weather and acceptable surface conditions. Dive spots may be switched around depending on conditions.
Dives will only be cancelled due to inclement weather or force majeur and are non-refundable.
CANCELLATION POLICIES
Date of booking to 30 days before arrival : P2,000
30-15 days before arrival: P5,000
15 days up to the day of arrival: P15,000
Weather Conditions - Cancellation Policy:
No refunds will be issued if the trip is canceled (by sea, air, or road) or delayed due to weather conditions.
If the port going to Malapascua is closed, additional accommodation is not covered for those guests who couldn't reach the island.
Please bear in mind that these situations occur a few times a year, and are not a usual issue when traveling to Malapascua.
REVIEWS (TUBBATAHA WORKSHOP)
“I have a very basic underwater camera set up that I've been using for years now. Overtime, I feel like my photography skills have not improved and blamed it on my set up (yet, i am not confident on what to buy for upgrade). But after Noel's course, I can say that I definitely improved! Noel is a great instructor - sharing with us the concepts in easy to understand way and very generous with practical tips he learned from his own experience! I am now more confident on what I can do to improve further on my underwater photography skills and more knowledgeable on what I need to buy next for my camera set up.”
— Gelain Ramos (PH)
This trip was worth the wait. Noel managed each of our concerns and considered individual preferences as much as he could throughout (arguably for 2 yrs!!!). The trip itself was also a surprise. The crew was fun and pleasant - made it feel like a home away from home. Since it was my 2nd time, the workshop provided a new take to Tubba - seeing the animals (post the species ID class) to taking photos of them in different angles and actions. No trip is perfect but this one was close. :)
— Jan Jizelle Ang (PH)
The course allowed me to improve both technical and artistic sensibilities to underwater photography. Furthermore, this has the right balance of detail (iso, aperture, taking care if backscatter) and context (subject, angles, framing) as needed.
— Vlad Sy (PH)
CONTACT DETAILS
Noel Guevara
+639989706429
noel@noelguevara.com