Fish Buddies

Located on the shores of Bounty Beach in Malapascua, Fish Buddies Dive Center has been an established part of the local diving community since 2013. As the first Chinese-affiliated PADI 5 Star centre on the island, it serves as a central hub for divers looking to explore the unique marine ecosystems of the Cebu region.

The centre is positioned perfectly for those wanting to access the island's famous cleaning stations and deep walls. While Malapascua offers a simple, safe island atmosphere, the diving here is world-renowned for its pelagic encounters and diverse reef life.

The team at Fish Buddies is composed of a mix of experienced local guides and Chinese instructors. This multilingual setup, with proficiency in both English and Chinese, ensures clear communication for a wide range of international divers. Key members of the team include veteran guides like Edison and James, alongside specialists like Felimar, known for keen observation skills, and Jabar, who focuses on supporting beginner divers.

Beyond the local operations, the centre is part of a larger diving network, also operating as Infinite Fish in Dumaguete, Dauin. This connection provides a broad depth of experience across different Philippine diving environments.

Fish Buddies offers a comprehensive curriculum of PADI courses catering to all experience levels. Beginners can start with the Open Water Diver course, while those looking to expand their skills can progress through Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue Diver, and eventually the Divemaster internship.

Specialised training is also available, including the Nitrox course to prepare you for extended dives, and the Scuba Review for those looking to refresh their skills. For divers wanting to add new experiences to their repertoire, the Adventure Diver programme is also on offer.

The centre provides a full range of rental equipment for those not travelling with their own kit. This includes regulators, BCDs, and wetsuits, as well as specialised items such as dive computers, torches for night dives, and underwater cameras.

Nitrox is available for divers looking to extend their bottom time, with 32% Nitrox cylinders available for hire. For those interested in night diving or macro photography, the centre also stocks torches and camera equipment to ensure you are prepared for any environment.

The waters around Malapascua are famous for large pelagics. You can find thresher sharks at cleaning stations, as well as tiger sharks, manta rays, eagle rays, and whitetip sharks. During the months from November to March, hammerhead sharks become more frequent visitors to the area.

The reefs are also home to a diverse range of larger species, including tuna, great barracuda, and various species of stingrays. You will often see sea turtles, lionfish, and large cuttlefish patrolling the walls and reef flats.

For macro enthusiasts, the area is incredibly productive. You can find a wide array of nudibranchs, seahorses, and pygmy seahorses, alongside various crustaceans like mantis shrimp and crabs. Other notable inhabitants include frogfish, scorpionfish, pipefish, and the occasional blue-ringed octopus during night dives.