wreck

Log This Dive

MUSKRAT

Okay, so the Musket. Don't go to Malapascua just for this, but if you’re already there and fancy something a bit different from the thresher sharks, it’s a surprisingly good shallow dive. This old motor vessel, grounded during Typhoon Agnes back in '84, is practically falling apart, and that’s what we love about it. It sits at a maximum depth of two metres, so it’s more of a snorkel or a leisurely, long safety stop if you’re just coming up from a deeper dive nearby. The hull, all 97 metres of it, is just a broken skeleton now, completely covered in a fuzzy green layer of algae. You can weave in and out of the rusted metal, which is a neat experience, feeling the sun warm on your back through the surface. Look closely in the nooks and crannies – we’ve seen everything from tiny gobies darting between the rebar to small schooling fish taking shelter. It’s a gentle drift, usually, but sometimes a slight current picks up, pushing you along the length of the wreck. It’s a great spot to practice your buoyancy or just spend an hour seeing how an artificial reef evolves. We’d suggest going at high tide for the best visibility, which can drop if the winds have been stirring things up.