The Editor says: The Philippines is home to countless beautiful islands. Malapascua, for instance, is famous for its Thresher Sharks and sits on every diver's must-visit list — but there's far more to Malapascua than Thresher Sharks! You might also get to witness the Mandarin Fish's courtship dance, with colours straight out of Avatar's Na'vi palette. Nearby, a tiny island offers great shooting for both wide-angle and macro — Whitetip Reef Sharks and strikingly patterned harlequin ghost pipefish all in one dive. And if you love a gorgeous photo backdrop, Peggy has the inside scoop on a perfectly photogenic uninhabited island. Read on!
Malapascua Must-See: the Mandarin Fish
Alongside the early-morning Thresher Shark dives, the twilight Mandarin Fish mating spectacle is a show all its own.
A quick introduction to the Mandarin Fish (Synchiropus splendidus): I always think its vivid blue stripes are reminiscent of the Na'vi from Avatar — countless blue lines swirled across a body awash in red, orange, yellow, and green. These fish are naturally shy and love to hide inside the crevices of Acropora coral. As the sun sets and the light fades, they grow more active, weaving through the coral. Males begin searching for a date (a mate), and when a male finds a female, he fans his pectoral fins and raises his dorsal fin — a full-on courtship dance.
A male Mandarin Fish fans his pectoral fins and raises his dorsal fin, as if performing a courtship dance for the female.
Males aren't particularly selective, but females are. They prefer males noticeably larger than themselves; if a female isn't interested, the male moves on to the next candidate. When a pairing succeeds, the male cradles the female and the two spiral upward together, simultaneously releasing eggs and sperm before diving straight back into the coral. The ever-busy male then sets off again immediately — a single male can spawn with up to eight females in one evening. In my own observations, though, not every attempt goes the distance: sometimes the pair turns back halfway, and sometimes damselfish dart in right behind them to eat the eggs.
I had heard there were many Mandarin Fish here, so from the moment I arrived on the island I was ready to head out on twilight dives — yet it took three evenings of dusk dives before I finally got the shot.
The first evening I probably entered the water a little too late; I witnessed only one mating attempt, and the fish had their backs to me. The second evening, I watched a male court female after female while every female played hard to get — he kept moving down the line, one after another — until complete darkness fell, the fish all retreated to sleep, and not a single successful pairing happened all night. Nothing for it but to try one more evening. Finally, on the third night the fish were much more active and the females were in a generous mood. At one point, just as one pair began mating, a second female slipped in alongside them. Every night brings different animal behaviour, and observing marine life always turns up fascinating new surprises.
The most important rule when watching or photographing Mandarin Fish: no white light, ever. Use only a low-intensity red video light (diffused) and wait quietly in one spot. These fish are extremely shy and are very easily spooked out of their mating mood.
One Saturday evening I happened to be in the water when it was particularly crowded. Divers clustered around several coral heads known as Mandarin Stations. Directly opposite me was a dive guide who, every time a pair of Mandarin Fish began their mating ascent, would switch on his white-light torch so his clients could shoot with their compact cameras. That night, every single ascent was cut drastically short — several times the fish dove back into hiding within 2–3 seconds of the white light appearing. This guide consistently switched on his torch the moment a pair started to rise. I was completely stunned and furious. I cannot understand why a local dive guide would do something like this rather than properly explaining these creatures to his clients.
When I surfaced I asked my own guide about him; he turned out to be an independent freelance instructor, so there was no dive shop to report him to — only a request for the other guides to have a word with him. If local dive guides keep disturbing Mandarin Fish with white lights during mating, I truly believe the population here will dwindle and eventually disappear. I hope everyone who plans to photograph Mandarin Fish in the future will be kind to them.
Gato Island
The cave entrance at Gato Island.
This little island is about a one-hour boat ride from Malapascua and is a great option for two dives on the first day after a check-out dive. There is a remarkable underwater cave here: when visibility is good, shooting silhouettes from inside the cave toward the entrance is absolutely stunning. Inside, you need to maintain solid neutral buoyancy to avoid stirring up the very fine silt on the bottom. The cave is not large and the exit is quite low, but once you emerge you're in a completely different world — the outside is draped in soft coral, and Whitetip Reef Sharks live nearby. The reef sharks here aren't overly shy, but you still need to approach slowly and gently, or they'll be gone in an instant.
A slightly shy reef shark.
The macro life here is also incredibly rich — numerous nudibranch species, spider crabs, Hippocampus kuda seahorses, Frogfish, and the strikingly patterned harlequin ghost pipefish, to name just a few. Even with a DSLR I found myself suffering from choice paralysis, because this site is fantastic for both macro and wide-angle shooting!
Two dreamy harlequin ghost pipefish — one male, one female — framed by a riot of colourful coral. Doesn't it just make your heart flutter?
Kalanggaman Island
Kalanggaman Island is an enormously popular tourist attraction. It is an uninhabited island with a sweeping white-sand beach, and the water shimmers in breathtaking gradients of blue under the sunlight. At low tide, a long, slender sandbar stretches out from the island, and coconut palms line the shore, radiating pure tropical-island charm.
The bangka boat ride from Malapascua takes around two hours — quite a journey — though along the way you may be lucky enough to encounter a pod of dolphins bow-riding alongside the boat. If you're on a dive tour itinerary, the island visit is usually scheduled after two morning dives, with a lunch break on the island at midday. You can also purchase a day-trip package from Malapascua itself. Personally, I hope that when I return I'll be able to arrange an overnight stay here, to savour the tranquil dawns and dusks and the star-filled, light-pollution-free night sky.
Turquoise sea and blue sky against powdery white sand — a silhouette shot here is an absolute must.
Eating, Drinking & Fun on the Island
- Angelina Beach Resort & Italian Restaurant — A well-known local Italian restaurant. The pizza, pasta, and risotto are all solid, and the ice cream comes highly recommended. The outdoor seating is much more breezy and comfortable.
- Rock 'N Pizza Malapascua — Recommended by local dive guides, this restaurant only opened this year. In addition to Western fare, it serves plenty of Filipino and Chinese dishes, and everything is genuinely delicious! Be warned that service can be slow when it's busy. The interior is fan-cooled only, so it can get a bit stuffy.
- Hippocampus Beach Resort Live Music — Right on the lively beach, this spot brings in live singers on weekend evenings. Low tables, cushions, and beanbags are scattered across the sand — order some snacks and drinks, sit or lounge back, and let the live music wash over you along with the sound of the waves. Pure bliss.
- Buena Vida Resort & Spa — Great news for anyone who wants a massage and some proper relaxation! I don't usually get massages myself, but I asked around on behalf of friends in our group and discovered that this tiny island is home to a surprisingly impressive spa. Rooms are limited so reservations are essential. Everyone who has been has loved it — a few have even gone back for a second visit. By all accounts the standards and service are excellent, though prices are on the higher side. Worth bookmarking if you need it.
This island is far away, but I absolutely love it. I've heard that many divers visit for just one night simply to see the Thresher Sharks — if you're planning a dive trip here, I hope you'll carve out a few extra days to soak in all the magic this place has to offer. I'm certain you'll fall in love with it too!
Further reading:
- 【Philippines Cebu · Malapascua】Three Years Later — Hello Again, Thresher Sharks!
- 【Philippines · Bohol】Taiwan's Top Pick! An Exclusive Inside Look at Bohol Dive Sites feat. 海島瘋
- A Must-Visit in a Lifetime: Philippines Thresher Shark Dive Destination & Dive Fiesta 2017
- Maldives Deep South — A Split-Second Face-to-Face with a Tiger Shark: Tiger Sharks, Manta Rays, Silvertip Sharks & Grey Reef Sharks on a Dream Dive Trip
