Tubbataha Reef

Tubbataha is located in the Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles and 181 km from southeast of Puerto Princesa City in the Palawan Province. Tubbataha is in the centre of the Coral Triangle between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Tubbataha is made up from two reefs, simply referred to as the North and the South Reef or islets that are separated by 4 nautical miles of water with surrounding depths that descent to around 1,200m or 6,000m. Tubbataha reefs National Parks is home to no less than 573 spices of fish.

Season and weather

Seven night charters run between March and June each year.

Air temperature:  28 C
Sea temperature:  28 C
Average visibility:  25 meters

Cruise itinerary

Dive day 1 and 6: Northern tip of North Atoll. The fissures and crevices lead into it where nurse and whitetip reef sharks can be resting during the day. Small manta rays, together with numerous turtles have all been seen around these parts.

Dive day 2: Southern End of North Atoll. The variety of marinlife is staggering. Almost every type of native reef fish can be found here like angelfish, lionfish and triggerfish.

Dive day 3: Southern End of Atoll. Here there is a profusion of small reef fish, corals sponges and anemones with a variety of different anemone fish species living in symbiosis.

Dive day 4: The area is particularly renowned for green and hawksbill turtles that are common seen swimming around the edge of the reef or resting. When the manta rays show up here they can hang out for hours majestically playing with divers.

Dive day 5: South Eastern of North Atoll. If there is current, you will come across a wide variety of large fish, including narrow-barred spanish mackerel, red snapper and napoleon wrasse. You are also certain to see blacktip reef shark and grey reef shark in large numbers.