Kimud Shoal

Malapascua · Philippines

Kimud Shoal is a submerged pinnacle 7 km southwest of Malapascua that is Cebu's most reliably productive hammerhead shark site outside Tubbataha. Scalloped hammerheads gather around the shoal in small schools, typically appearing at depth between 30 and 40 meters before ascending to shallower plateaus at 20 to 25 meters. The pinnacle itself is encrusted with black coral, sea fans, and crinoids, and the hard coral table on the shallowest section is among the most intact in the northern Visayas. The shoal lies in a channel that generates nutrient upwelling, which drives both the plankton that feeds the food chain and the visibility that can vary dramatically between dives.

Conditions

Depth

18 to 40 m

Advanced depths

Current

Can be moderate

Can pick up on the edge

Visibility

10 to 20 m

Clearest in the calm season

Water

25 to 30°C

3mm full

Month by month

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Water (°C)	25	25	26	28	28	28	27	27	27	26	26	25
Vis (m)	15	15	20	20	15	10	10	10	10	10	12	15
Current	Strong	Strong	Moderate	Moderate	Gentle	Moderate	Moderate	Moderate	Strong	Strong	Strong	Strong