Off the northern tip of Cebu Island, in the Philippines, Malapascua is surrounded by some very lush underwater scenarios, such as Lapus Lapus and Gato Island, with an astonishing variety of soft corals and other small invertebrates. This quiet diving destination also provides a cleaning station for thresher sharks that migrate daily from the depths. Unfortunately, dynamite fishing is still present in surrounding waters, and several underwater explosions were heard during my visit in 2004.