Malapascua · Philippines · Wall · Muck & macro
Secret Wall
A 12 to 14 m wall with ground running down to 28 m
Area photo: Petter Lindgren · CC BY-SA 3.0
Secret Wall sits at Malapascua's north point and is dived as an advanced site: the wall has an average depth of 12 to 14 metres but the ground below it goes down to 28. It is worked slowly for muck diving and macro photography rather than for the wall itself, which is why the depth and the pace end up mattering more than the profile suggests.
Where it is and how deep
11.3511° N, 124.1158° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Most of the dive runs along the wall at an average depth of 12 to 14 metres, which on paper is undemanding. The reason it is called an advanced dive site is what sits below: the ground falls away to 28 metres, and a group that drops over the edge to look at something is deep before it has noticed. Plan the profile before the descent, agree the depth the group is working at, and let the guide own the drop-off.
It is a good dive for muck divers and macro photography, so the pace is slow and the subjects are on the wall face and the ground at its foot rather than out in the blue. Photographers tend to work one stretch rather than cover distance, which suits a wall this shallow: bottom time is generous as long as nobody spends it at 28 metres. The ascent is straightforward, back up onto the top of the wall for the stop.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
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.
Know before you go
- The wall averages 12 to 14 metres but the site drops to 28, and macro hunting makes it easy to sink without noticing — set a working depth and check it.
Sources
- Secret Wall - Scubago — Scubago/SSI
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