Diving Kimud Shoal in Malapascua, Philippines

In September of 2026, I dove Kimud Shoal with Devocean Divers, by boat out of Malapascua Island, Philippines.

At Kimud Shoal, it's pretty much the only place in the world where you're guaranteed to dive with multiple thresher sharks if you go at the right hour.

According to local guides, the Threshers used to be at Monad Shoal, but a tiger shark frequently passes through the area, and ever since then Kimud is where Threshers hang out.

The Dive

The reef here is actually pretty decent, but almost nobody looks at it, because most of the dive is spent at the edge of the drop-off watching for threshers coming in to the cleaning stations.

I logged 66 ft (20.1 m) at the deepest, with an average of 38 ft (11.6 m) across 44 minutes.

Their awkward eyes were really cool to look at.

This was one of the most unique dives I've done in my life.

What to Know Before You Go

We were up at 5:30 in the morning for this one.

No lights and no strobes are allowed at this site.

Between that, the early start, and limited sun, the lighting for photography is tricky, which is why the shots below look the way they do.

It's also only one dive site, and it's a very popular one, so expect a lot of divers.

I went in low season and there were still several groups in the water at the same time.

I can't imagine what high season looks like.

What Marine Life I Saw

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The Dive & Conditions

Visibility was 60 ft (18 m) on my dive, and the water was 84.2°F (29°C). There can be current here, which is what the downline is for.

Devocean Divers run this as an early boat trip out of Malapascua from September through May.