Tubbataha
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is located 150km southeast of Puerto Princesa City, in the Sulu Sea, Philippines. It is considered the Mecca of Philippine diving and recognized as the only Asian UNESCO WORLD heritage site that is marine in nature. It consists of two huge Atolls and Reefs : The Tubbataha North Atoll, The Tubbataha South atoll and in the NorthWest part: The Jessie Beazley Reef.
Since it was discovered by divers in the late 1970s Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) has been considered one of the most extraordinary dive sites in the world, a dream trip for most scuba divers. Recently, it was ranked eighth best dive site in the world by the CNN travel website.
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park lying at the heart of the Coral Triangle - the global centre of marine biodiversity. It contains roughly 10,000 hectares of coral reef, no less than 600 fish species, 360 coral species, 11 shark species, 13 dolphin and whale species, and 100 bird species. The park is also serve as a nesting ground for Hawksbill and Green sea turtles.
The park is under the strict protection of armed rangers all year round to preserve the beauty of this underwater world. As a result, visitors have the privilege of seeing the spectacular reefs and marine life like manta rays, turtles, schools of fish, and whale sharks. As well as sponges that as big as refrigerators, giant sea fans, and delicate soft corals make the vertiginous walls look like hanging gardens. While invertebrates and sponge crustaceans create a mural-like canvas effect on the walls.
Dive Season in the Tubbataha Reefs is only 3 months a year, running from mid-March until mid- June. And liveaboard trips are the only option for divers to reach this amazing destination, as there are no accommodation facilities. When the park is open for public, the diving conditions are usually optimum – clear skies, calm seas and visibility between 30 and 45 meters.
