Revision 8/14/2009 12:15 PM
Malapascua Island is situated in the Visayan Sea, located across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Malapascua is a tiny island, only about 2.5 kilometers long and 1 km wide, and has eight hamlets.
As a diving destination, Malapascua was "discovered" fairly recently, only in the early 90s. The island was first known for its wide white sand beach, known as Bounty Beach; it has also become known for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots nearby, including Monad Shoal, an underwater plateau where thresher sharks and manta rays can be sighted on a regular basis. To date, this is the only place in the world where divers can reliably sight thresher sharks.
Most of the islanders derive their livelihood from tourism, while some still rely on subsistence fishing and farming.