Dive Review of Evolution Dive Resort in
Philippines/Malapasqua

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Evolution Dive Resort: "Great Macro Encounters with Threshers, too.", Aug, 2019, by Michael J. Millet, CA, US ( Top Contributor 96 reports with 59 Helpful votes). Report 10998 has 1 Helpful vote.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	EVOLUTION REVIEW The last stop on my month-long odyssey in the Philippines was the Evolution Dive Resort on Malapascua Island. I arranged for a private transfer from Mactan, Cebu up to Malapascua, which took about 3 hours in a van then a 40-minute boat ride from the port of Maya out to the island. There are no ATM’s on the island and many stores/shops only take cash in Filipino currency. Evolution Resort is one of the nicer resorts on Malapascua along with Exotic Resort, next door. All the dive operations here feature thresher shark diving at Monad Shoal. The Evolution Resort can accommodate about 42 divers. It was about 1/3rd full when I was there. I had a fairly large room with 2 queen beds. My room, #8, was in the rear of the resort next to the maintenance building so I was sometimes serenaded with saws, hammers and crowing roosters. The room had poor lighting and very few electrical outlets. It was kept very clean with a regular change of towels. Meals are served in an Irish-themed pub ordering off a menu. There is no meal plan offered but breakfast is included. The pub offers a good variety of food that is prepared nicely and is inexpensive. At times, the service can be a bit slow. The pub featured a well-stocked bar with many Irish whiskeys but a minimal wine selection. The pub often played rap music full of some serious expletives – a real incongruity for an Irish pub. The dive operation was well organized. Each day’s dive schedule is posted on white boards outside the dive shop. Divers sign up for the dives they will be doing the next day. Everyday featured a thresher shark dive at 5 AM then dives at 9:30 AM and 1:30 PM plus twilight or a night dive. The resort also offers 2-tank trips to Gato Island and Kalaggamann Island. The resort offers Nitrox. The resort does not allow dive gloves or sticks. In addition, no dive lights, strobes or video lights can be used on the thresher dives. These dives are deep and dark. Between the Seadoors’ live-aboard and Evolution, I did 4 thresher shark dives. I found them a bit disappointing with very limited sightings of the sharks – passing shadows. Access to the dive boats is tide-dependent. When the tide is in, there is beach access. When the tide is out, we took a skiff out the moored dive boat. The dive crew set up the dive gear and rinsed the gear at the end of the day. I had a private dive guide, Gino, who is an excellent critter-finder for primarily macro-photos. Gino was always helpful, friendly and courteous assisting with my camera rig to/from the dive boat. Malapascua is best known for its thresher shark encounters but I was very impressed with the macro-photo opportunities. We had encounters with octopus (including blue-rings), several different species of shrimp, crab, nudibranchs, cuttlefish, squid (including bobtail) and reef fish. The night dives were exceptional. I wish Gino well as he works toward his PADI instructor certification. I had a wonderful experience reading to the 2nd and 3rd graders at the Malapascua elementary school as part of a book donation program that the resort sponsors. In conclusion, Evolution is a very nice resort with comfortable accommodations, very good food, the opportunity to encounter thresher sharks, excellent macro-photography, with very reasonable prices and a warm and friendly staff. I recommend this resort and will definitely consider a return visit.
Websites	Evolution Dive Resort
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	All over the Caribbean; Galapagos, Socorro, Fiji, Solomons, GBR, Vanuatu, PNG, Philippines, Indonesia, Palau, Yap, Kosrae
Closest Airport	Cebu	Getting There	Best to fly direct to Cebu avoiding Manila. About a 4 hour transfer from airport to Malapasqua
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp	82-84°F / 28-29°C	Wetsuit Thickness	3
Water Visibility	35-75 Ft/ 11-23 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	[Unspecified]No Deco
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	None	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	None	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities
UW Photo Comments	The crew was always helpful and careful when handling camera gear. No rinse tank on boat but rinse tank for cameras at resort. One of the best locations that I have experienced for quality macro-photography.

Report currently has 1 Helpful vote

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Dive Review of Evolution Dive Resort in Philippines/Malapasqua

Evolution Dive Resort: "Great Macro Encounters with Threshers, too.", Aug, 2019,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Evolution Dive Resort in
Philippines/Malapasqua