page_title: Malapascua
section_title: Monad Shoal
hierarchical_section_title: Malapascua / Monad Shoal
caption_attribution_description: English: See Thresher Sharks in the early mornings at Monad Shoal, Philippines
context_page_description: Malapascua is a Philippine island situated in the Visayan Sea, 6.8 kilometres across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of Cebu Island. Administratively, it is part of the peninsular barangay of Logon, Daanbantayan, Cebu. Malapascua is a small island, only about 2.5 by 1 kilometre, and has eight hamlets.
context_section_description: The number-one dive site of Malapascua is Monad Shoal, a natural cleaning station for fish located 7.8 kilometres (4.8 mi) from the island (11°18′30″N 124°11′30″E – 30–35 minutes boat ride). The shoal is a rather unremarkable 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) long rock stump at the edge of a 200 metres (660 ft) drop and has a flattish top at a depth of 20 to 24 metres (66 to 79 ft). The site is best known as the only place in the world where thresher sharks can be seen regularly at and just before sunrise. They use the seamount as a cleaning station for bluestreak and moon cleaner wrasse to remove ectoparasites such as gnathiids from their skin and clean their gills and mouths. The shoal also attracts other pelagic fish such as devil rays and eagle rays. Manta rays and hammerheads are seasonal. Unfortunately most of the coral reefs of the shoal have been damaged by destructive fishing methods, as has happened all over the Philippines, and elsewhere. In June 2016 a ship ran aground on the shoal, damaging three hectares (7.4 acres) of the protected area.
caption: Thresher shark in the early morning at Monad Shoal
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