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In the heart of the
Sulu Sea lies the Tubbataha Reefs National
Marine Park. It is located 98 nautical miles from Palawan's
capital of Puerto Princesa which is a country
town spread out either side of Rizal Avenue between
the port and the airport.
This excellent
marine park is a dream come true with its reefs-tops abounding with turtles,
stingrays, Spiny Lobsters, Leopard Sharks and
Guitar Sharks; wall covered in varieties of
corals, huge barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fans;
snappers and Moorish Idols dart everywhere.
Deeper down the vast expanse, Grey Reef Sharks
patrol their territories while giant Manta Rays
fly overhead providing a perfect scuba diving
adventure.
Tubbataha boasts of
a diverse coral assemblage and it is believed to
have some of the most unspoiled reefs left in
Philippines. It has been reported
to host 46 coral genera with coral cover
reaching some 70 to 80 percent in many parts of
the reef slope and edges. Its sea floor is home
to an impressive number of exotic fishes with at
least 140 families with 379 species. All dives
are drift dives and maximum depth extends beyond
200 feet. The best time to come here is from March to
June. So, it is no surprised that Tubbataha Reefs is classified in the
UNESCO World Heritage list.
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DIVE
SITES |
AVERAGE DEPTH (m) |
MAXIMUM DEPTH (m) |
|
Jessie
Beazley Reef |
28 |
60 |
|
Southern End
of the Reef |
28 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
North Islet, North Face |
30 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
North Islet, East Face |
20 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
North Islet, South Face |
20 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
North Islet, Southeast Corner |
20 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
South Islet, NNE End |
20 |
60 |
|
Tubbataha -
South Islet, SSE / SW End |
20 |
60 |
|
Basterra
Reef, North End |
25 |
60 |
|
Basterra
Reef, East Face |
25 |
60 |
|
Basterra
Reef, South Wall |
25 |
60 |
|
Bancoran
Island |
20 |
40 |
|
Calusa
Island |
20 |
45 |
|
Cavili
Island |
20 |
35 |
|
Arena
Island, East End |
20 |
40 |
HOW TO GET THERE
Live-aboards are the
only way to dive the Tubbataha Reefs.
Live-aboard cruises are available out of
Batangas on the following boats, mostly from the
end of June to February - MY Aquastar, MY
Blackfin and MY Tristar A.
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