SEASONS

There are three distinct seasons here in Malapascua. Spring from February to May; Summer from June – September and Winter “Rainy” Season starts from October – January. The ‘rainy season’ officially starts in June and ends January and the ‘typhoon’ season officially starts in July and ends in October but to be honest it is not too intense here.

During spring the sea is at its calmest. The air temperature can reach 30 degrees +, and the sea temperature averages 29 degrees, although there can be a thermocline at the deeper sites. You can expect to see thresher sharks, manta rays and devil rays during this time. Also blue ringed octopus, flamboyant cuttle fish, nudibranches, sea snakes, mating squid, cuttle fish and an array of other tropical fishes and creatures are common through these months. This is one of the busiest times of year for Malapascua so be sure to book well in advance.

The summer season brings the hot weather and is also the official start of rainy season, when we tend to get rain in the late afternoons and through the night. The waters are warm and the sea life is bountiful. It is sometimes possible to see manta rays at this time of year and it is always possible to see the thresher shark. The visibility during this time tends to be the best of the year. The island is relatively quiet as this is the official low season. The typhoon season also begins during this time of year, although we are lucky where we are situated as the larger islands of Cebu and Leyte protect us, so most typhoons pass us by.

Wintertime brings a slight drop of air temperature, although it can still reach into the late 20’s.We can get some heavy rain and occasionally rough seas called locally as ‘ocho ocho’. The diving however is very good, as the sea temperatures have dropped a little. The cooler waters attract the bigger sharks such as hammerheads and white tips, requiem sharks and of course the giant mantas and thresher sharks.

The Christmas season and Easter season are busy times on Malapascua, so once again be sure to reserve your holiday well in advance. The only holiday seasons that really affect traveling are Christmas day and the Easter weekend as most public transport stops, including airplanes.