Tubbataha and More - 13 nights

Overview

This extended 13 night liveaboard adventure allows up to 41 dives, including up to 8 night dives. You will spend 5-6 days at the spectacular National Marine Park of Tubbataha as well as covering some of the highlights of the South Visayas such as Apo Island.

Accessible only by liveaboard, the Tubbataha Reefs were proclaimed as a National Marine Park in 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993, in recognition of their outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species diversity and richness. These reefs consist of vertical walls or near drop off's rising out of great depths where hammerheads, thresher sharks and whale sharks can be seen. The shallow reef tops are teeming with local reef fish; in many places stingrays, spiny lobsters, immature manta rays and turtles are found. The Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea offers some truly amazing diving.

150km South East of Puerto Princessa, on Palawan Island, the Tubbataha reef system covers 970km², with 100km² of pristine coral reefs for divers to explore. Formed Millennia ago along the Cagayan ridge, Tubbataha consists chiefly of two atolls (North and South) and the Jessie Beazley reefs. This delicate reef system supports over 600 different fish species and over 300 coral species, whilst providing a haven for nesting hawksbill and green turtles and numerous birds. A field station on the north atoll is manned by rangers year-round and during your trip you can visit the rangers to learn more about conservation and reef protection.

Arrival Time for Tubbataha Itineraries
Guests planning to arrive at the embarkation location on the day their liveaboard commences are kindly asked to book flights which arrive no later than 12:00. Guests arriving earlier will be transferred from the airport to the meeting point and then to the vessel for embarkation at 13:00.

PLEASE NOTE

• All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and the those visited are at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.
• As well as the Tubbataha National Marine Park highlights below, you will also visit some of the Southern Visayas sites such as Apo Island
• The use of gloves, reef hooks, tank bangers or pointers is not permitted in Tubbataha National Marine Park.
• Tubbataha Marine Park Authorities have banned all single use plastics, including drinks bottles, plastic bags and wrappers on all vessels. Guests are therefore requested to bring their own reusable drinks containers. Alternatively, you can purchase an Eco Tumbler onboard.
• The use of drones in Tubbataha National Marine Park is prohibited unless a permit has been obtained in advance from the Tubbataha Management Office.

Certification Requirements

The authorities in the Philippines who operate the permits on Balicasag Island, which forms a small part of the Tubbataha and More itinerary, require a copy of dive certificates/ licenses for every diver booking onto this itinerary. Please ensure that you send a scanned copy of your certification to divingholidays@blueotwo.com once you have confirmed a booking. Without a scanned copy of guests' certifications, there is a strong risk that the authorities will not issue the permit. This would result in the whole boat being refused dive permissions for Balicasag Island.

Diving in Tubbataha National Park can be challenging due to its exposed location which makes it susceptible to strong currents. We recommend that guests wishing to join a Tubbataha trip on Philippine Siren be certified as PADI Advanced Open Water, or equivalent, with a minimun of 30 logged dives, preferrably with experience diving in similar conditions.

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