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Dive Review of Exotic Island Dive Resort in
Philippines/Malapascua

Exotic Island Dive Resort, Apr, 2007,

by Gayle & Bob Bringas, OR, USA (Contributor Contributor 13 reports with 2 Helpful votes). Report 3412.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 3 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments Philippine Airlines (PAL) has the only direct flights from LAX to Manila. The flights were completely full both ways. The SportsPlus program allows 20 kilos of extra weight form sports equipment for USD30 per year, good on both PAL and Air Philippines. Exotic's rooms range from basic to deluxe air conditioned rooms with minibar, satellite TV, hot/cold running water. There is a hotel safe at the front desk for valuables. Our package included breakfast and 2 dives a day. The menu was a combination of western and Asian cuisine.

Divers set up and rinse their own gear. Dive shop employees carry the gear to and from the dive boat. Diving is done from bangkas. To board, a plank is angled from the beach to the bow of the boat. Exotic has three bangkas of varying sizes. Entry is a three-to-five foot giant stride (depending on which boat), with crew members standing by to steady you. Exit ladder was easy to use. Dives are always guided in a group. Proposed dive sites are posted on the board at the dive shop and you sign up for the ones you want.

Thresher shark dives leave for Monad Shoal at 5 AM. Divers wait on the bottom at 75 feet to the sharks to appear out of the 30-foot visibility. We tried two different locations on the Shoal during the six days we were there, but only saw one thresher at the very limit of visibility.

Monad Shoal in the afternoon is for mantas. Again, divers wait on the bottom at 75 feet for the mantas to appear. Visibility remained at 30 feet. We saw three of the largest mantas we have ever seen in 500-plus dives.

Most dives, current was slight to moderate. Visibility usually about 50 feet, water temperature from 81 to 84 degrees. Tapilon Wreck was the only dive with strong current. The wreck is at 90 feet, water temperature was 80 degrees. Exotic's house reef was a very pleasant dive; no current, bottom is at forty feet, lots to see, the only dive where we were able to go off on our own. Exotic no longer goes to Calangaman Island; the owner of the island won't let anyone use the beach for a dive interval without payment.

Nitrox was available, but they suggested only using it on certain dives (i.e. Monad Shoal, Tapilon Wreck.) Mixes ranged from 33% to 36% because the Nitrox tanks are hand-blended, not filled from a membrane system.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 501-1000 dives
Where else diving North Sulawesi, Raja Ampat, Bali, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Red Sea, Papua New Guinea, Australia, Palau, Truk, Tahiti, Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 80-84°F / 27-29°C Wetsuit Thickness 0
Water Visibility 30-50 Ft/ 9-15 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions [Guided dives
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas 1 or 2
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 3 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 3 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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