Malatapay Pier
A true muck dive at a busy working pier, where in the right season you can find several kinds of cuttlefish, octopus and frogfish, and a nice selection of nudibranchs.
Malatapay Pier is a true muck dive at a busy working pier. In the right season you can find several different kinds of cuttlefish and octopus here, different kinds of frogfish and a nice selection of nudibranchs.
The dive
The dive starts from the beach, just a few metres deep. In the deeper part there is a fairly big reef area, reaching down to around 40 to 45 metres, and there are old tyres and other interesting things on the bottom to explore. We normally don’t go deeper than 22 to 25 metres here.
What you might see
- Several kinds of cuttlefish
- Octopus
- Different kinds of frogfish
- Nudibranchs
- A reef area in the deeper part
- Old tyres and other interesting finds, each home to its own critters
When to dive Malatapay Pier
Many of the animals here are seasonal, so what you see depends on the time of year. Ask our team what has been seen recently. The water stays between about 25 and 29°C. See when to dive Dauin.
Who it suits
Critter lovers who don’t mind a working harbour setting. The beach entry and shallow start make it a gentle dive to begin.
Our tip
Take your time in the shallows at the start and end of the dive. Many of the cuttlefish and octopus are found in the first few metres.
Good to know
- Malatapay is an active pier with boats coming in and going out, so divers need to take care here. Listen to your briefing and stay close to your guide.
- Malatapay Pier is not a marine sanctuary.
- For another pier dive, try The Pier.
Dive Malatapay Pier with us
We dive the Dauin coast every day, with full rental equipment included in our dive rates. See our Dauin diving and prices, or build your dive trip and tell us which sites you would like to see.