Reefwander
A pelagic thresher shark with its long tail glides through blue water over the reef at Monad Shoal, Malapascua.

Malapascua · Philippines · Wall · Reef

Lapus II

A small wall from 12 m onto black coral sand at 20 to 30 m

Area photo: Petter Lindgren · CC BY-SA 3.0

Lapus II lies right next to Lapus Lapus and is the deeper half of the same piece of coast. A sloping reef at 12 metres turns into a small wall, the bottom under it is at around 20 metres, and the sand below that carries black corals and sea fans as it slopes away to a maximum of 30 metres.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Lapus II: typical dive 12–20 m (40–66 ft), deepest point 30 m (100 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit12 m20 m30 m maxtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

11.3485° N, 124.1043° EPublished position for this site.

The dive

Lapus II lies right next to Lapus Lapus, on the same northwest corner of the island. The dive starts on a sloping reef in 12 metres, which within a short distance turns into a small wall — not a sheer drop, but enough of a face to follow rather than search. Groups descend onto the slope, find the top of the wall, and then work along it with the reef on one shoulder and open water on the other.

The bottom at the foot of the wall is at around 20 metres, and the sandy ground there holds a lot of black corals and sea fans before sloping away to a maximum depth of 30 metres. That deeper sand is where most of the dive's bottom time goes if you let it, so it is worth agreeing a turn depth first and working back up onto the reef with gas in hand. The 12-metre slope is the natural place to end.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Lapus II
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
FairFairPrimePrimePrimeGoodGoodGoodGoodFairFairFair

Season follows Malapascua: Threshers visit Kimud Shoal all year. March to May is calmest and clearest; October to January brings rough seas, green water and the most cancelled crossings.

Sources

  1. Lapus II - Scubago — Scubago/SSI

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