This week is the main Malapascua Island fiesta of the year and everyone has been in high spirits.
This morning was the “Fluvial Parade” where all the boats from Malapascua get together and do a trip around the island in celebration of the Virgin Delos Desemapardos for whom the fiesta is in honor.

View from our boat Esther
Customers, staff and their families joined us on our boats Amy and Esther as we went around the island accompanied by the Malapascua marching band (though obviously not marching as they were on a boat) and lots of fireworks and bangers. Boats ranged in size from the biggest dive boats which were overflowing with people, decorations and palm fronds, down to tiny one-man fishing boats, some of which had been souped up with huge engines so they were almost taking off out of the water.

The small boats in the parade
Sally and Oliver – our two labradors – were also part of the procession and sniffed the air excitedly as they pulled at their leashes trying to jump in the water and swim all the way.

About Andrea Agarwal

Andrea Agarwal is a PADI Master Instructor and the founder of Thresher Shark Divers on Malapascua Island, Philippines. Originally from the UK, she moved to the Philippines in 2003 and built what is now one of the largest and most respected dive operations in the country. TSD is a PADI 5-Star Career Development Center (CDC) and the only PADI TecRec facility on Malapascua. Andrea has spent over 20 years diving Malapascua's waters and has been instrumental in developing its reputation as the world's best destination for daily thresher shark encounters.