Palawan Island, great place for shark spotting too!
MANILA, Philippines - Few experiences can compare with seeing a shark up close in its natural environment. For Filipinos who seek thrill and adventure, you don't have to get that plane ticket to Hawaii to catch a glimpse of the sharks, because our very own islands have them, too.
Palawan has been noted for its clean clear waters, beautiful scenery and a diverse array of marine life. But did you know that it is also a great spot for shark sighting?
El Nido, the northern part of Palawan Island has a Marine Reserve Park, where a great range of sharks and fishes can be spotted. Tara Island, northeast of Palawan, can be a great spot to look for the reef sharks, hammerheads and guitarfish; while Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a protected area in the middle of the Sulu Sea, and east of the Palawan main island has two large ring-shaped reefs called atolls where a variety of fishes and sharks reside.
Sightings of the bowmouth guitarfish (close shark relative) are also common in the area.
Aside from Palawan, the Phillipine Island of Malapascua is reported to be the only place in the world for divers to see thresher sharks on a regular basis. Monad Shoal is an underwater island on the edge of a 650-foot drop off! With a population of electro parasite-eating fish like bluestreak and moon cleaner wrasse, the shoal is a cleaning station for larger fish, and a feeding spot for the thresher shark.
To know more about sharks, the greatest predator of all time, catch "Shark Week" as it premieres June 27, 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.
