Conservation

Conservation at Thresher Shark Divers

Diving with thresher sharks daily means we have a direct stake in protecting them. Conservation isn’t a side program — it’s woven into every internship.

The thresher shark situation

Pelagic thresher sharks (Alopias pelagicus) are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Monad Shoal off Malapascua is one of the only places in the world where they reliably visit a cleaning station at recreational dive depths. This makes the site globally important for shark research and ecotourism.

Threats: bycatch in tuna longline fisheries (the biggest cause of decline), targeted shark fin trade, and unregulated dive tourism (the smallest but the one we can influence).

What we do

  • Strict diver behaviour at Monad Shoal. Mandatory briefings, no flash photography, no chasing sharks, distance protocols. We’ve trained every guide on the island in these protocols.
  • Adopt a Divesite. Monthly clean-up dives at our local sites. Trainees participate as part of their internship.
  • Dive Against Debris (PADI/AWARE). Quarterly underwater debris surveys. Data submitted to global database.
  • Green Fins certified. Independent assessment of environmental practice. Audited annually.
  • Plastic reduction. No single-use plastic on the boats. Refill stations, reusable cups, no straws.
  • Local research support. We host visiting marine biologists studying thresher behaviour, provide boat support, share our long-term sighting records.

Conservation as part of training

Every internship cohort completes:

  • Marine ecology workshop (2-3 hours)
  • Coral identification module
  • One Dive Against Debris event
  • One reef monitoring exercise
  • Ethics briefing on shark interactions

Optional add-ons: PADI Project AWARE specialty (USD 220), Coral Restoration Diver, Shark Conservation Diver.

How we measure impact

  • Annual Green Fins audit (pass for 8 consecutive years)
  • Annual debris collection totals (published)
  • Long-term shark sighting log (shared with researchers)
  • Single-use plastic reduced by 95% since 2019

Honest note: we are a commercial dive operation, not a charity. We make money taking divers to see sharks. The above is what we do within that constraint to be a net-positive presence.

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