Download Tubbataha fact sheet

Frontier Scuba
Tubbataha Reef
Tubbataha is a reef ecosystem made up of two atolls located in the middle of the Sulu
Sea. It is a sanctuary for marine life. The reefs lie on the Cagayan Ridge, a line of extinct
underwater volcanoes which starts from the north at the Sultana Shoal and ends in the
south at the San Miguel Islands. It is located 92 nautical miles southeast of Puerto
Princesa City, which is 90 minutes by plane from Manila. It was proclaimed as a
National Marine Park on August 11, 1988 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage
in 1993, in recognition of its outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species
diversity and richness.
The name Tubbataha comes from the
dialect of the Samal, seafaring people of
the Sulu region, and means 'long reef
exposed at low tide'. Tubbataha consists
of two atolls made up of roughly 10,000
hectares of corals and many other forms
of marine life. There is very little land in
Tubbataha. Each atoll has just one islet,
the highest of which is only two metres
above sea level. The atolls have shallow
lagoons and are surrounded by 200 to 500
metres of reef flat which ends in a steep
drop off into deep water. The reef crests,
which mark the atolls' edges, are exposed
above the water's surface at low tide.
Tubbataha is well known among the
fisher folk of the southern Philippines. It
was called 'Gusong,' literally meaning
'coral reef.' For most of its existence,
Tubbataha's remoteness has been its greatest protector against over exploitation. The
best months for travel to Tubbataha are during the summer months, from March to May.
Divers pay a park fee of about $65, payable when boarding the liveaboard in Puerto
Princessa.
Tubbataha is a big ecosystem containing a network of smaller ecosystems. From the
largest fish (the whale shark) down to the tiniest organisms (marine plankton) the
underwater flora and fauna depend on one another for survival. The islets are also part
of this complex, life-giving network. Sea turtles are often seen around the shallow reef
flats. During breeding, they lay their eggs on both the North and South Islets. The islets
also serve as an important refuge for seabirds in Southeast Asia. Tubbataha's islets are
believed to be one of the last breeding grounds for a host of endangered bird species.
Dive Sites
The tropical atolls, known as North
and South Tubbataha, host an
amazing variety of tropical reef
fish, turtles and larger pelagic
species. Manta and eagle rays, reef
sharks, turtles and Napoleon
wrasse are seen on many of the
dives. Nurse, shovelnose, leopard
and hammerhead sharks are
common. Schools of jacks and
snappers swim on the wall, while
barracuda can be seen hovering
above.
The Malay Wreck has a great
school of sweetlips and bumphead
parrotfish. Dive sites are either
gentle reef slopes or bottomless
walls (close to 1000m!) The huge
variety of species make Tubbataha
one of the best liveaboard
destinations in the world.