North Point
A soft coral garden at Malapascua's northern tip that strong current has built, with a rocky overhang big enough to fill a dive.
Last updated October 2026
The dive
Soft coral covers the reef off the northern tip of Malapascua, and the dive runs across it from about 6 metres at the top toward 27 at the bottom of the published range. Frogfish in several colours sit among the coral, fire urchins carry zebra crabs, candy crabs take the colour of the branches they hold, and nudibranchs share the reef. With strong current setting the pace, you find these animals in passing and stop only where one earns it.
What makes it special
The soft coral at North Point is a product of the water moving across it. One operator puts its abundance down to the strong current across the point.
The other draw is a rocky overhang that one operator says could keep a diver busy for the whole dive. Taken slowly, the dive becomes a look at that one piece of rock, with a torch for the cracks and crevices.
Know before you go
Set your maximum depth before you get in, because in strong current the profile gets decided once you are already moving.
Carry a surface marker buoy and send it up at the end of the dive.
Bring a torch. It is recommended here even for a daytime dive, for searching the cracks and crevices in the rock.
Why Dive North Point
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Current-built coral garden
Strong current across the point is what lets the soft coral grow in such abundance
- The rocky overhang
One feature that can take up the whole dive
- Macro among the coral
Frogfish, fire urchins with zebra crabs, candy crabs and nudibranchs
- Cracks to search
A torch is recommended for the crevices in the rock, even by day
Depth & Profile
Location
11.3508°N, 124.1161°E
Conditions & difficulty
Open Water divers can work the upper reef within 18 metres. The lower slope is Advanced Open Water depth, and current this strong rewards some experience before you go.
Summary
Strong current on a dive where the profile gets decided as you move.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
- Current: Strong current is the normal state at this site.Stay with the guide and put up a surface marker buoy at the end of the dive so the boat can find you.
- Depth: A wide depth band combined with strong current, so the profile is chosen on the move.Agree a maximum depth before the entry and keep to it.
- Remote location: Malapascua is a boat ride from the mainland, and a recompression chamber for the island was announced in early 2025.Ask the operator what oxygen and evacuation arrangements the boat carries, and keep the profile conservative.
Marine Life
Regulations
North Point does not appear to be among the eleven protected areas Daanbantayan designates by municipal ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
North Point, North Wall and North Rock all get sold off the same coast. Which one is this?▾
They are three separate dives. North Point is the soft coral garden with the rocky overhang, a drift over soft coral. North Wall is a short wall at 24 metres, about 10 metres long by 6 high. North Rock is a small coral-encrusted wall at 15 to 21 metres, and its listing carries a Nitrox 36% recommendation for certified nitrox divers, which does not belong to North Point. A depth or gas recommendation that arrives under the North name is worth matching to the dive actually on the boat plan.
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