Anchorage· Malapascua· Philippines
Malapascua Bounty Beach Anchorage
11° 19.3′ N · 124° 7.1′ E
The main anchorage off Malapascua's south coast, just outside the dive-banka fleet in front of Bounty Beach's resorts, bars and dive shops - the best place in the Visayas to wake up for a thresher-shark dive.
Practical
Mokisha (June 2017): 11°19.330'N 124°07.062'E in 30 ft (9 m) outside the banka anchorage, Globe 4G good; Sloepmouche (Aug 2017) 11°19.327'N 124°06.924'E in 4 m, hard bottom with sand patches. Holding is poor in places - Freebird (2015) found thin sand over rock off the resorts, deeper sand in the seagrass; Soggy Paws (2018) dropped in sand next to a bommie; set and dive the anchor. Choppy with current through the anchorage; about 50 dive bangkas anchor off the south side after the afternoon dives and most leave before dawn for Monad Shoal. Good in N-NE winds but uncomfortable when wind shifts east against the tide, and untenable in southerlies or the SW monsoon (move to the north side). Extensive shallows extend south of the island toward Cebu. Dinghy: land on the beach (tie a long painter to a palm - east end where local boats land) or at the village dock with car tyres as fenders (beware the dinghy slipping under it on a rising tide). No ATM reliably - one cruiser found none in 2014 while Wikivoyage now lists ATMs and a money changer; bring cash.
Best for
Thresher-shark diving and beach bars in the NE monsoon
Season
Nov-Apr (NE monsoon); untenable in S/SW winds
Nearby
- Malapascua Beach Bars and Restaurants0.3 NM away
- Malapascua Dive Operators0.3 NM away
- Ristorante Angelina (Malapascua)0.4 NM away
- Amihan Restaurant (Malapascua)0.5 NM away
- Dakit-Dakit Island0.5 NM away
- Malapascua Bakeshops (Logon Village)0.5 NM away
- The Craic House (Malapascua)0.5 NM away
- Bounty Beach (Malapascua)0.6 NM away