Tubbataha Reef Versus Malapascua in Dec?

Making my 1st dive trip to Phillipines in Dec .. spoiled for choice!

I've narrowed it down to either Tubbataha Reef or Malapascua. Threshers at Malapascua would be absolutly amazing but I am trying to determine what else Malapascua has to offer in the event I don't get the chance to spot.

I am a average diver with maybe 60 diver under my belt, not experienced enough yet to appreicate the macro delights still chasing the larger pelagics as well as soft corals.

If anyone has been to both I would appreciate your comparison? I will have aprox 10 days altogther not sure its enough time to visit both.

Thx.

Tubbataha is open only during the summer months

I guess that make the decison for me! Is Malapascua still good or would you recommend any other sites at this time? Thx!

What the previous poster has said is correct , the currents are too strong outside of the summer months.

I spent 8 nights in Malapascua in February and this was definitely not too much. I did the thresher shark dive every morning and on each dive we had multiple near sightings of the thresher s , we virtually had them the whole dive on most days.

The other sites are OK , not amazing. Gato has lots of white tips who are very chilled out and rest in crevices and under rocks , they are really cool. It has lots of soft corals and good but not amazing fish life.

You will need to get your Nitrox cert though , as the thresher s are so deep that you run out of bottom time on air. This is a problem in groups , so you will be encouraged to do your Nitrox course, which is very easy.

I also spent 5 nights in Maolboal which was lovely , better coral and more fish than Malapascua, with heaps of turtles.

Have a great time.

tubbataha is open only on summer (thats march-may in the Philippines).. Malapascua is ok for December if you can get some bookings (its the holidays here during the 3rd to last week of december so expect hordes of divers during those times).. the threshers there are all year round so if you spend a couple of days there, its impossible for you to leave without seeing them.. if you're lucky, you might get to see the giant mantas also.. but you need to be an AOW diver to see the threshers since its a relatively deep dive and they generally won't allow you if you only have an open water certification.. aside from the threshers, you have other great dives there.. from white tip sharks to hordes of sea snakes, mating mandarinfishes, wrecks, etc..

Hello K_Hanna,
If you can go a bit earlier and would consider Dumaguete and Bohol I can send you information on a group trip staying at Atlantis and then doing the Azores liveaboard. Trip dates are Nov 18 to Nov 30, 2013.
Carl

Actually... Tubbataha is only doable from March till June... and Dec is not the Best time for Malapascua due to its location it is hit by the Amihan winds from the north... you might be better off in Dauin, Anilao, Moalboal, or Sipalay for that month....

Hello K_Hanna,
i have been to malapascua this year in a combination with Moalboal and i tell you, it is absolute worth it. The two destinations fit perfectly toegther as the underwater world is so different. Malapascua you have the Threshers, Devil rays and with some luck you can also spot hammerheads there, but there is no fish... No schools of fish... After seeing some whitetip reef sharks at Gato island, other than that its "only" macro, but amazing stuff.
Moalboal has much more fish, turtles and i heard that they have a huge school of sardines there where you can sometimes if you are lucky spot Thresher Sharks as well.
I stay at Ocean Vida in Malapascua this time and it was great, Best expereince ever. All the staff are amazing and super friendly. Restaurant is super good foodwise and the location with their bar is perfect. If i go back to Malapascua, i would never go anywhere else!

In Moalboal i stay at Kasai Village, a bit more pricey but the service is worth it as well. Nice rooms, good food, xcellent and well organised diving! All in all i can say, if you do this combination, you will be super happy about your choices.
7-9 nights Malapascua and afterwards Moalboal for 5-6 nights...

Enjoy!!!