SeaLog
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Lapus-Lapus
Philippines · reef · beginner
8–18 mbeginnerOWboat entry
Lapus-Lapus
The rock formations and soft-coral garden off the islet on Malapascua's north-west corner, worked slowly with a torch.
Max depth8–18 m
Required levelbeginner
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Lapus-Lapus is the reef off the islet at the north-western corner of Malapascua, and it is the local dive most Malapascua shops put on the afternoon boat. Sea Explorers, whose centre is on Bounty Beach, put it about ten minutes away; Thresher Shark Divers list it at five. Either way it is a short banca ride round the top of the island, and unlike Monad and Kimud it needs no dawn start and no shoal crossing.
The topography is broken rock rather than a single reef face: Sea Explorers describe rock formations and small canyons under colourful soft coral, and Evolution Diving mention a small cave holding cleaner shrimp. Depth is modest. Thresher Shark Divers, Diversion Dive Travel and Dive The World all give the site as an 18 m dive, and Diversion's description has you finishing at about 8 m on a long soft-coral garden — which is where most people burn the back half of the tank.
It is dived as a macro site. The names that come up on every operator list are frogfish, both giant and painted, mantis shrimp, scorpionfish, lionfish, sweetlips, cuttlefish and a great many nudibranchs, with commensal shrimps and porcelain crabs on the anemones and whips. The peer-reviewed occurrence records for this corner of the island back that up specifically: painted frogfish, peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin sweetlips, banded pipefish, blue-ringed octopus, ornate ghost pipefish and a long list of Nembrotha, Chromodoris and Phyllidia nudibranchs. Whitetip reef sharks are on the same list. Dive The World also notes Lapus Lapus as a popular night dive.
One thing to know before you book: this stretch of wall carries more than one named dive. Sea Explorers sell Lapus-Lapus, Lapus II and Lapus Pinnacle as three separate sites, Lapus II starting on a sloping reef at about 12 m before turning into a small wall down to 20 m and sand at 30 m, and Lapus Pinnacle beginning at about 12 m some fifteen minutes out. The names Lapus I and Lapus Shallow, which appear in the dive-log databases, are not names the Malapascua dive centres use — in those databases they carry the description of the shallow part of the Lapus-Lapus islet, which is this dive.
- Giant and painted frogfish among the rocks
- Soft-coral garden at about 8 m to finish the dive
- Small canyons and a cave with cleaner shrimp
- One of the island's better night dives
Please note before you go
- Exposed north-west corner of the island: current and surface chop can build, and shops drop the site in heavy Amihan swell
- Broken rock and small canyons make it easy to lose the group in poor visibility
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat only, from the dive centres on Bounty Beach and Logon. Sea Explorers put it about ten minutes from their centre and Thresher Shark Divers about five; both run it as a standard local tank alongside Deep Rock, Lapus II and the Lighthouse. There is nothing on the islet — no landing, no facilities.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Rules and permits
Malapascua's local waters carry a government marine park tax. Thresher Shark Divers, whose price page was last updated April 2026, describe it as 150 to 450 pesos per person per day for the use of local waters, and quote park fees of 300 to 700 pesos per day in their own price list; Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort quotes a government tax of 300 pesos per day applying to all sites. The figures do not agree, which is normal for a locally-set fee — the shop collects it with your dive fees, so ask what today's rate is rather than budgeting from any of these.
Season
Thresher Shark Divers, on the island for two decades, put the best conditions in March to May at the end of the dry season. The Amihan north-east monsoon runs roughly November to February and brings choppier seas, visibility often down to 10 to 15 m, cooler water of 24 to 26 °C in January and February, and enough swell in December and January that individual sites are sometimes off. The Habagat, July to October, is wetter and rougher on the bad days, though Malapascua sits relatively sheltered from the worst of the typhoon track; typhoons cluster in November and December.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentmoderate
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range8–18 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsmoderate
A five to ten minute banca ride from the Bounty Beach shops round to the island's north-west corner, then a negative-free roll-in over broken rock in 10 to 18 m of warm water. Malapascua water runs about 26 to 29 °C for most of the year and drops to roughly 24 to 26 °C in January and February. No operator publishes a visibility figure for this site; island-wide, Thresher Shark Divers report 10 to 15 m as common through the Amihan and much clearer water from March.
On current: Sea Explorers say the site can be enjoyed by beginner and experienced divers depending on the current and the sea conditions, which is the honest version: it is an exposed north-western corner, and what it is like depends on the day. Thresher Shark Divers' own seasonal page notes that in December and January the wind gets up enough that some sites are occasionally unreachable because of swell. No operator publishes a current strength for this site.
Best months: Mar, Apr, May
Questions & answers
How deep is Lapus-Lapus?
Three separate sources — Thresher Shark Divers, Diversion Dive Travel and Dive The World — all give Lapus Lapus as an 18 metre dive. Diversion's description finishes the dive at about 8 metres on a soft-coral garden, which is where the shallow half of the tank goes. It is a comfortably no-decompression profile.
How do you get to Lapus-Lapus?
By banca from the dive centres on Bounty Beach and Logon, round to the north-western corner of the island. Sea Explorers put it about ten minutes from their centre; Thresher Shark Divers list five. There is no shore access and nothing on the islet itself.
Is Lapus-Lapus good for beginners?
Sea Explorers say the site suits beginner and experienced divers alike, depending on the current and the sea conditions on the day. At 18 metres with a shallow finish it is an easy profile for a newly certified diver. Because it sits on an exposed corner of the island, the answer genuinely does change with the weather, so take the guide's call.
What will I see at Lapus-Lapus?
It is dived as a macro site. Operators list giant and painted frogfish, mantis shrimp, scorpionfish, lionfish, sweetlips, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, commensal shrimps and porcelain crabs. The occurrence records for this corner of Malapascua also carry painted frogfish, peacock mantis shrimp, harlequin sweetlips, banded pipefish, blue-ringed octopus, ornate ghost pipefish and whitetip reef shark.
What is the difference between Lapus-Lapus, Lapus II and Lapus Pinnacle?
Sea Explorers sell all three as separate dives on the same stretch of coast. Lapus-Lapus is the broken rock and soft coral off the islet; Lapus II starts on a sloping reef at about 12 metres, turns into a small wall to 20 metres and slopes on to sand at 30; Lapus Pinnacle is around fifteen minutes out and starts at about 12 metres. Lapus I and Lapus Shallow are not names the Malapascua dive centres use — in the dive-log databases they carry the description of the shallow part of the Lapus-Lapus islet, which is this dive.
Is there a fee to dive at Malapascua?
Yes, local waters carry a government marine park tax collected by the dive shop. Thresher Shark Divers, updated April 2026, describe it as 150 to 450 pesos per person per day and quote park fees of 300 to 700 pesos per day in their price list, while Malapascua Exotic Island Dive Resort quotes a flat 300 pesos per day for all sites. The numbers disagree because the rate is set locally and changes, so ask your shop for today's figure.
Can you night dive Lapus-Lapus?
Yes. Dive The World lists it as a popular night dive spot, and the topography suits it: broken rock, small canyons and a cave with cleaner shrimp all reward a torch. The soft-coral garden at about 8 metres makes an easy shallow finish in the dark.
When is the best time to dive Lapus-Lapus?
March to May, at the end of the dry season, according to Thresher Shark Divers' own seasonal page. The Amihan from November to February brings choppier seas and visibility commonly down to 10 to 15 metres, with December and January windy enough that individual sites are occasionally unreachable. Water is warm year round, dipping to about 24 to 26 °C in January and February.
Life recorded at Lapus-Lapus
60 species within 1.5 km · OBISSynchiropus splendidusoccasional · 38 recordsTriaenodon obesusoccasional · 18 records
Hypselodoris variobranchiaoccasional · 33 records
Thuridilla lineolataoccasional · 30 records
Chromodoris magnificaoccasional · 30 records
Halgerda batangasoccasional · 29 records
All 60 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Synchiropus splendidus | occasional | 38 |
| Hypselodoris variobranchia | occasional | 33 |
| Thuridilla lineolata | occasional | 30 |
| Chromodoris magnifica | occasional | 30 |
| Halgerda batangas | occasional | 29 |
| Tambja morosa | occasional | 27 |
| Nembrotha kubaryana | occasional | 25 |
| Amphiprion clarkii | occasional | 22 |
| Nembrotha cristata | occasional | 22 |
| Phyllidia varicosa | occasional | 19 |
| Triaenodon obesus | occasional | 18 |
| Nembrotha milleri | occasional | 18 |
| Plotosus lineatus | occasional | 17 |
| Ceratosoma gracillimum | occasional | 17 |
| Hypselodoris bullockii | occasional | 17 |
| Phyllidia elegans | occasional | 16 |
| Chromodoris annae | occasional | 16 |
| Phyllidia coelestis | occasional | 15 |
| Toxopneustes pileolus | occasional | 14 |
| Protoreaster nodosus | occasional | 14 |
| Dunckerocampus dactyliophorus | occasional | 14 |
| Lactoria fornasini | occasional | 14 |
| Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides | occasional | 14 |
| Nembrotha mullineri | occasional | 14 |
| Coriocella nigra | occasional | 14 |
| Pseudoboletia maculata | occasional | 13 |
| Echidna nebulosa | occasional | 13 |
| Hapalochlaena lunulata | occasional | 13 |
| Tambja olivaria | occasional | 13 |
| Goniobranchus geometricus | occasional | 13 |
| Elysia marginata | occasional | 13 |
| Coryphellina exoptata | occasional | 13 |
| Dardanus pedunculatus | occasional | 12 |
| Echinothrix calamaris | occasional | 12 |
| Antennarius pictus | occasional | 12 |
| Arothron mappa | occasional | 12 |
| Odontodactylus scyllarus | occasional | 12 |
| Phyllidia ocellata | occasional | 12 |
| Phyllodesmium briareum | occasional | 12 |
| Goniobranchus reticulatus | occasional | 12 |
| Culcita novaeguineae | occasional | 11 |
| Solenostomus paradoxus | occasional | 11 |
| Amphiprion ocellaris | occasional | 11 |
| Amphiprion perideraion | occasional | 11 |
| Tenellia sibogae | occasional | 11 |
| Ascarosepion latimanus | occasional | 11 |
| Echinometra mathaei | occasional | 10 |
| Neopetrolisthes maculatus | occasional | 10 |
| Arothron manilensis | occasional | 10 |
| Amphiprion frenatus | occasional | 10 |
| Bornella anguilla | occasional | 10 |
| Thor amboinensis | occasional | 9 |
| Dolabella auricularia | occasional | 9 |
| Hypselodoris emma | occasional | 9 |
| Diademichthys lineatus | occasional | 9 |
| Halgerda willeyi | occasional | 9 |
| Phyllidiella pustulosa | occasional | 9 |
| Chromodoris willani | occasional | 9 |
| Hypselodoris tryoni | occasional | 9 |
| Pteraeolidia semperi | occasional | 9 |
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