Tubbataha Reef and Tour Package

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tubbataha reef map

Tubbataha is a nature ocean marine park in Palawan, Philippines and designated as such in 1988, the first of its kind in the country. Five years later it earned the ranks as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the only such site in all of Southeast Asia. Recently it has been ranked as the eighth best dive site in the world by CNN travel website cnngo.com.

It is located 150km southeast of Puerto Princesa at the heart of the Coral Triangle, the world’s capital of Marine Diversity. Feel free to send us a note for bookings or more info:

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Coral Triangle

Coral Triangle and countries participating in the Coral Triangle Initiative

This massive triangle includes the waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste and Solomon Islands, and is home to 600 species of corals (more than 3/4 of the world’s total), six of the world’s seven marine turtle species, more than 2,000 species of fish (37% of the world’s total) and the world’s largest mangrove forest.

Over 120 million people live within this “Amazon of the seas” and rely on it for food, income and protection from storms.

Overlooked by the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) and the Coral Triangle Center, a private foundation based in Bali, Indonesia.

Tubbataha – a Nature Paradise

coral reefs philippines Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Tubbataha caries its weight in gold, hosting 360 coral species (half of all known), 600 species of fish and 100 species of birds within its 100,000 hectares of nature preserve.

This rich oasis provides almost 30% of the country’s total fisheries production, its ocean currents carrying vast amounts of marine larvae to the rest of the Sulu Sea.

On visiting the natural wonder, National Geographic photographers remarked: “The first thing that strikes you is that you are in an ocean wilderness. You encounter the sea and marine life here on their terms, not yours.”

Or as a marine biologist from the University of Miami commented: “All of the signs are that Tubbataha Reef is nearing what we believe to be the true natural state. This is an amazing thing that’s happened.”

History

The name Tubbataha means “long reef exposed at low tide” and comes from the Samal language, native language of the seafaring people of the region who would visit the area occasionally in line with their nomadic lifestyle.

Protection

angelique songco tubbataha protector

A certain Algelique Songco worked as a diving professional for 7-8 years in Tubbataha, but after watching the natural wonder deteriorate over the years due to dynamite and cyanide fishing, she decided to roll up her sleeves and do something about it.

In 2001 she applied as a park manager and was initially paid by the WWF, since funds were not yet available locally. But since then her efforts have grown into a team of voluntary park rangers (some of them members of the Philippines’ Navy, Military, Coast Guard and Local Government), each living on the Tubbataha Reef Ranger Station for two months at a time, running patrols 24/7 to protect nature’s paradise.

Tubbataha Reef Ranger Station 2013
Proposed Ranger Station project for Tubbataha Reef National Park, Sulu Sea, Philippines

Fortunately, this lonely outpost and spit of sand and concrete jutting from the water is about to undergo a major facelift, applying solar panels, micro-wind turbines, sunshades doubling up as a rainwater collection system and hydroponically-grown vegetables to maximize self-sufficiency, considering its remote location.

The new add-on structure will also house a research building with eight live-in marine biologists. Furthermore, a library, visitor center, museum and shop will educate the public and encourage further fund raising. Which is currently funded by the Philippine government, private groups, and partially as compensation when a US Navy ship ran aground into the reef in 2013.

In 2023, these brave marine park warriors won the IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award.

tubbataha rangers

Diving

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park

Trips to the reef are only run from March to June every year, when the seas are calm enough to make the 10 hour trek there and the waters clear and visible.

The liveaboard ships (only way to visit this remote area) depart from Puerto Princesa and last 5-7 days, with 3-5 days saved for diving and excursion.

Visibility is 10-35 meters, depending on the tides, good for snorkeling too, and since some dive sites experience strong currents, intermediate to advanced diving skill level is recommended.

Tubbataha-Reefs-Natural-Park-snorkeling

Different cruise ship operators – price comparison

PriceStandardVIP
Dolphin Liveaboard$2,850 lower deck$3,050 upper deck
Infiniti$3,299 standard$3,599 delux

Under each operator you will find a Read More button to see more information. You can click on the ratings to see the reviews.

Dolphin Liveaboard

Dolphin Liveaboard

Dolphin liveaboard reviews

Their schedule

Dolphin liveaboard schedule

Explanation: Tours = number of tours in succession during the stated period; Days = duration of tour; Dives = number of dives expected per tour; Price = price per person in USD for standard cabin (VIP is $200 more).

Detailed description of each tour.

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Infiniti Liveaboard

infiniti ship Tubbaha

Infiniti reviews

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Booking

We have partnered with the above cruise companies so you can book through us at their regular published rates. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have concerning these tours.

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We are a family operation managing private custom boat tours in the beautiful Palawan area, and are happy to help travelers with their plans through the country, having traveled a lot of it ourselves and planning to visit it all.

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