Established in 1988, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is located in the middle of the Sulu Sea, 180 kilometers east of Puerto Princesa on Palawan Island, Philippines. Covering an area of 97,030 hectares, it is home to 600 species of fish (including 11 species of sharks), 360 species of coral (accounting for 50% of the world’s known coral species), 13 species of dolphins and whales, 100 species of birds, as well as hawksbill and green sea turtles. In 1993, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it one of the only two marine World Heritage sites in Southeast Asia.

The park consists of two large coral atolls, the North Atoll and the South Atoll, as well as a smaller, separate reef called Jessie Beazley Reef, located northeast of the North Atoll, along with a vast area of deep sea.

The North Atoll is oval-shaped, approximately 16 kilometers long and 4.5 kilometers wide. At low tide, part of it emerges above the water, forming the “Bird Island”. When exposed, the island rises about 1 meter above sea level, providing a habitat for birds and sea turtles. Here, you can see birds nesting, turtles digging holes to lay eggs, and a variety of plants covering the small island.

The South Atoll is triangular in shape and smaller in area. Its complex underwater terrain makes it a habitat for many marine creatures. Here, you can find a wide variety of marine life, including long-nosed butterflyfish, silver snappers, sea snakes, tiger sharks, dolphins, and anglerfish.

Thanks to its exceptional marine conditions, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park has become a world-renowned diving destination. Therefore, the experience you absolutely cannot miss when visiting here is diving.

Diving at Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is only open for three months each year, from March to June. During this period, the sea is as smooth as glass, the skies are clear, and visibility can reach depths of 30 to 45 meters.

Since Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park has no accommodations and is about a 10-hour drive from the nearest city, liveaboard diving is currently the only way to visit and experience diving there. The entire trip requires spending extended periods on the dive boat.

At the dive sites in the North Atoll, sharks rest side by side on the reefs, their tails sticking up like the neatly lined tails of airplanes at an airport. Giant sea fans in a variety of colors sway in the water, while over 600 species of fish play among them.

At the dive sites in the South Atoll, you can seek out gatherings of cleaner wrasses and, through them, spot manta rays gliding by. Swim along the massive walls of the Del San shipwreck and encounter more than twenty known species of sharks and rays.

Dive into the reefs of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and immerse yourself in a boundless, undefinable underwater world.