Malapascua vs Sipadan vs Similan

[Centrals]

Derawan and its surrounding is definitely more interesting than Sipadan. Given the remoteness of the place it is a lot less affected by the chinese divers.
The 3hrs+ boat ride on a rough sea is certainly unforgettable and I definitely no intention to experience it again.

 

[Dan]

Nabucco Island Resort has bigger transfer boat for smooth ride to their resort from Berau. It’s about the same type of boat that Misool Eco Resort uses for bringing their guests from Sorong in 4h boat ride to their resort in Misool.

Recently an airport in Maratua is open for business. So now it would be 20-30 minute boat ride to Nabucco.

 

[sipadan.com]

No one had ever mentioned giant manta was guaranteed on the way to Monda Shoal to me in all my previous visits to Malapascua. Many divers did not realize that mabula was cruising above them at Monad Shoal because they never bother to look up. There is a big difference between manta and mabula.

Oh, ok... 10 years ago in 2009, I was told by the divemaster 50% chance for giant mantas rays in the afternoon. What I saw was giant mantas, but I listen to your opinion about nebulas, maybe that's what they meant by 50% guaranteed.... When I asked few months ago, this was history... yes they were there before the typhoon.

 

[Centrals]

First went there in 2002 and there were only a handful few dive operators then. When I walked out from Exotic there were nothing around the place except white sand.
When the DM said something like "before", "used to be", I usually take it with a pinch of salt.

 

[Luko]

Oh, ok... 10 years ago in 2009, I was told by the divemaster 50% chance for giant mantas rays in the afternoon. What I saw was giant mantas, but I listen to your opinion about nebulas, maybe that's what they meant by 50% guaranteed.... When I asked few months ago, this was history... yes they were there before the typhoon.

Went in 2001 in Malapascua at Exotic island when they were small, strobes were permitted and Doug Perrine was a customer along two other divers besides me.
Dived Monad schoals in the afternoon facing opposite of the thresher shark station, saw really massive manta rays (I know what is a Mobula birostris) apparently each time the dive crew knew they'd come.
Dived Monad schoals in the morning on the thresher shark ledge, saw slightly smaller mobulas up in the distance while the threshers were circling.

 

[jjmochi]

So having been influenced by this thread I booked a last minute trip over this past long weekend to Malapascua and did 10 dives there including a daytrip to Gato. Thresher shark dive was cool the first time and we saw ~5 on both dives we did but visibility was quite poor and they don't allow you to get close or use lights/flash so I didn't end up with any good pictures. Twice was enough for me and I don't feel the urge to go back. No mantas on either dive.

On the other hand I was very surprised by how good the macro was, on just the local dives around Malapascua. Was not a macro fan before but am converted now. Saw so many frogfish, pigmy seahorse, giant seahorse, all sorts of crabs, translucent shrimps, sea moths, sea snake, so many cuttlefish and octopus, and mandarin fish night dive was super cool. Macro here I think definitely trumps Mabul/Kalapai. I would go back for the small stuff again, maybe next April as they say you can see hammerheads then.

Gato island was fine but not super amazing, we only saw 1 large whitetip and it was half hidden in the cave. Boat ride was too long/uncomfortable for us to repeat. Unfortunately didn't have enough people to make it out to Kalallangman.

So for big stuff I would say Sipadan>Similians/Richilieu>Malapascua. Small stuff=Malapascua>Mabul/Kalapai>Similians. Overall favorite still Sipadan

 

[bintang_shrimp]

I guess I saw a very different Sipadan in 2017 then. We dove 4 days out of 5, so were quite lucky with the permits. I think every single dive was amazing. From barracuda storms, rays, turtles that wanted to come and say hello, even a school of jack fish so big it literally blocked the sun and went dark. We didn't hesitate to spend the extra $$ to extend the day and do 5-dive days.

Malapascua on the other hand.. lovely island. Boring diving apart from the thresher sharks and you have to try to avoid the circus.

My dive guides, some of whom have been there for a long time, said Sipadan is very hit and miss. On an average day, it's pretty average. It's still great diving compared to most spots, but compared to Komodo for example, it seemed pretty lame. Now if you get lucky of course, it could be amazing. I just felt it was too much money and hassle, and too much boring filler diving in between, to make it worth the trip. I'd rather go somewhere that has better odds.

Btw, same happened in Derawan. I was just there in early June. I'd say very boring 90% of the time, except a few famous dive sites. We barely saw any mantas in Sangalaki and everyone says it's been that way for the past year.

 

[bintang_shrimp]

Number 1:
Gato island near Malapascua is great with white tip sharks in the tunnels and many rare macro species around the rocky island. Malapascua has develloped a lot since 10 year and is quite overcrowded. The macro around Malapascua has decreased since the typhoon. The Threshers are still there but the mantas are only luck now (previously it was guaranteed to get giant mantas on the way to monad shoal). There are other dive spots in Cebu that are worth it, such as MoalBoal for the sardines and turtles. Don't go to Oslob, it's baby whalesharks and packed with thousands of tourists every morning. Go to Donsol (also not guaranteed to see whalesharks as it's not allowed to dive where to snorklers go), so need to go a few times.
More down the list:
The Similan are good for landscape, hure rocks, for marine life it's not as 5 stars are Sipadan or Malapascua.

I just went to Malapascua 2 months ago. Thresher sharks were great. We went to Captain Cilo island which was great too, but a long boat ride and 1500 PHP surcharge. Everything else was lame. Gato island had ZERO sharks, and I did 2 days of diving there. A common complaint from dive guides is the dynamite fishing around that area. When the ecosystem gets destroyed on all the nearby islands, even the protected ones start to suffer. Quite a few divers in my group were shocked at how bland the reefs were and how few fish were there.

 

[Dan]

Barracuda Point at Kakaban is another cool dive site around Maratua Atoll

 

[Centrals]

I just went to Malapascua 2 months ago. Thresher sharks were great. We went to Captain Cilo island which was great too, but a long boat ride and 1500 PHP surcharge. Everything else was lame. Gato island had ZERO sharks, and I did 2 days of diving there. A common complaint from dive guides is the dynamite fishing around that area. When the ecosystem gets destroyed on all the nearby islands, even the protected ones start to suffer. Quite a few divers in my group were shocked at how bland the reefs were and how few fish were there.

If my memory is correct there used to be a guard stationed there many yrs ago.
It is really annoying that dynamite fishing is still being practiced in the country.
SHAME