Trip Report Trip Report - Bali & Komodo on Mermaid I

[jjmochi]

Anytime in 2024. Thanks for the info! I’ll probably have about a month so I could do potentially do land based and a liveaboard for Malapascua.

I would steer away from liveaboard for Malapascua, not really worth the cost and the land-based ops have a better chance of seeing the threshers. The 11D Siren trip spends 2 days there only, you have 2 chances to see, the shorter liveaboards may only have 1. It's better to be flexible and stay in a land-based shop for as long as it takes you to see if the goal is threshers. If threshers are not a must I would go to Indonesia for the full month instead. You have a lot of options - Raja and Komodo seasons are kind of mutually exclusive so maybe hard to combine both, but you can combine 2 weeks in Raja with 2 weeks in North Sulawesi (Lembeh & Bangka), or 2 weeks in Komodo with 2 weeks in Bali (or Alor like diveUAE did).

 

[AlMitch]

The threshers at Malapascua are absolutely incredible...definitely one of the most beautiful creatures to see. BUT that is basically all Mala has going for it. The rest of the dive sites are all pretty meh. So 3 days should be enough...then head to other areas of Cebu and across to Dumaguette and Apo.

 

[diveUAE]

The threshers at Malapascua are absolutely incredible...definitely one of the most beautiful creatures to see. BUT that is basically all Mala has going for it. The rest of the dive sites are all pretty meh. So 3 days should be enough...then head to other areas of Cebu and across to Dumaguette and Apo.

Sorry, have to disagree with this. We had great diving in Malapascua beside the thresher dives (which were awesome and not “like a circus” as many describe them).

We lucked out and had one of the best dive guides ever - he even managed to find me a blue ring octopus, basically he found everything we asked for from sharks to nudies and seahorses.

Loved the diving at Malapascua much more than Bohol/Balicasag.

 

[AlMitch]

Sorry, have to disagree with this. We had great diving in Malapascua beside the thresher dives (which were awesome and not “like a circus” as many describe them).

We lucked out and had one of the best dive guides ever - he even managed to find me a blue ring octopus, basically he found everything we asked for from sharks to nudies and seahorses.

Loved the diving at Malapascua much more than Bohol/Balicasag.

Super stoked you had good diving at Mala! Each spot has it's day in the sun.

 

[Dan]

My husband is now a 1-2 dives a day then relax type, and only wants to dive if he can see something different/new, do you think he will still enjoy Alor after seeing Komodo and Raja?

I just came back from Alor 2 weeks ago. Alor is indeed worth a visit, however September - October is better than April though. Besides the good muck diving there (especially seeing the purple Rhinopia), Current Alley is one dive site you don't want to miss, as I captured in my GoPro, below. Tell your husband if that's something different/new than what he has seen before.

Komodo is almost guaranteed to have mantas but no whale sharks.

You mean Celso didn't take you to Saleh Bay when you were in Sumbawa? On our way to Komodo, after diving Angel Reef, we passed Mermaid 1 on 22 July, 2022 and I said hello to Celso and Wayan. They told us to stop by Saleh Bay , after visiting Komodo and on our way back to Bali. We did that and this is what we saw:

 

[Dan]

The threshers at Malapascua are absolutely incredible...definitely one of the most beautiful creatures to see. BUT that is basically all Mala has going for it. The rest of the dive sites are all pretty meh. So 3 days should be enough...then head to other areas of Cebu and across to Dumaguette and Apo.

Meh? Did you go to Gato Island when you were in Malapascua?

 

[Dan]

We had great diving in Malapascua beside the thresher dives (which were awesome and not “like a circus” as many describe them).

Me too! When did you go to Malapascua? Did you see the Thresher Sharks in Monad Shoal or Kimud Shoal? We were there in January 2023 and No more Thresher Sharks in Monad Shoal as the Silvertips, Oceanic Blacktips and Tiger Sharks invaded the Shoal. The Thresher Sharks are now going to get cleaned in Kimud Shoal, which is shallower. I had a GREAT TIMES there. Went 6 times there and never got bored. Here is some of what I saw.

 

[diveUAE]

Me too! When did you go to Malapascua? Did you see the Thresher Sharks in Monad Shoal or Kimud Shoal? We were there in January 2023 and No more Thresher Sharks in Monad Shoal as the Silvertips, Oceanic Blacktips and Tiger Sharks invaded the Shoal. The Thresher Sharks are now going to get cleaned in Kimud Shoal, which is shallower. I had a GREAT TIMES there. Went 6 times there and never got bored. Here is some of what I saw.

Very nice videos! We went in April 2019, so dived Monad shoal - stayed and dived with Thresher Cove (sadly closed now). Who did you dive with?
So can you dive Monad Shoal and see tigers and oceanic black tips? Might be worth coming back ... I would love to, but so many places in the world we've not been to yet and for Phillippines I'm looking at Dauin for July 2024 (or we may just go to Bali and dive Tulemben, since July can be hit and miss for Phillippines).

 

[Dan]

Very nice videos! We went in April 2019, so dived Monad shoal - stayed and dived with Thresher Cove (sadly closed now). Who did you dive with?
So can you dive Monad Shoal and see tigers and oceanic black tips? Might be worth coming back ... I would love to, but so many places in the world we've not been to yet and for Phillippines I'm looking at Dauin for July 2024 (or we may just go to Bali and dive Tulemben, since July can be hit and miss for Phillippines).

Thanks. I went with Evolution Diving Resort in Malapascua, Cebu, Philippines

I just wanted to see Thresher Sharks when I was there. So, I didn’t bother to go to Monad Shoal. Besides, I have seen Tiger and Oceanic Blacktip Sharks in Cocos before. Also in Bahamas you can see Tiger Sharks even closer as the guide feed them. Whether you can stilll dive Monad Shoal to see Tiger & Oceanic Blacktip Sharks, I don’t see why not, but I’ll let @matt_reed answers your question directly,

Malapascua - not just Thresher sharks

During a recent series of deep dives in Malapascua, we've had consistent sightings of Tiger sharks, Bull sharks and Blacktips. Pretty amazing stuff. Amazing photos by Marissa Eckert of Hidden Worlds Diving Marissa also got amazing Thresher pics on the classic shark dive - check out her...

scubaboard.com

For July, I think Tulamben is better choice than Dauin.

My next diving diving destination in Philippines would be Tubbataha in June 2024.

 

[eagerbeaver]

In response to the above, yes it is "possible" to see tigers, bulls and blacktips...tigers are more and more regular in shallow water recently.

But I wouldn't plan a trip here for that. The sightings are generally brief and definitely not "guaranteed" like the threshers pretty much are at the moment.