Did you know that more people are killed by falling coconuts than sharks, every year?

Keep that in mind when you read ahead.

Thresher sharks are bloody majestic creatures. They have long tails, sometimes longer than the rest of their body! They use this tail to whip and stun their prey before chowing down. The big eyed thresher sharks that are found in Monad Shoal off the coast of Malapascua Island are deep sea creatures, only popping up to visit the cleaning stations, hence their big eyes and elusiveness.

Dawn is the right time to visit the thresher sharks, Malapascua Island is the right place to do it, and Thresher Cove Dive Resort are the right people to do it with! 4.30 am we were up and at ’em, ready to face the day and meet our pelagic mates. Thresher Cove Dive packed us into a boat with coffee and off we went.

30 meters deep we dove, sitting at our depth limits (literally kneeling before a large drop off), watching the thresher sharks lazily swim past, eyeing us curiously. 12 minutes we got with these beautiful creatures before we had to shallow up and avoid decompression limits. And of course, 12 minutes is just not enough.

The very next day Matt and I signed up to complete our Nitrox course, meaning we could stay down at 30 meters for an extra 10 mins. Worth every last penny.

Newly certified nitrox divers!

That extra 10 minutes meant the “air breathers” left us alone with the sharks, and the sharks became much more comfortable with getting closer to us. Check out the video below to see these beautiful creatures in action.

We of course also did some other diving around Malapascua. We saw Gato Island, completed a night dive and visited “the aquarium”, which was by far my fav. Beautiful coral, very unique moray eels and pygmy seahorses. And I haven’t even mentioned the island yet! A deserted island of our very own to have our lunch on. How’s the serenity?

And there’s Malapascua Island itself. 2.5km long, 1km wide, there’s no better place to escape for a few days. You can either submerge yourself in a resort, or get amongst the locals… and find some delicious food markets and bbq’s. The choice is yours!

Such a beautiful place. Can you see yourself spending some time on a little island like this? Let me know in the comments!