What Is Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park?
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park lies in the centre of the Sulu Sea and protects almost 100,000 hectares of marine habitat.
The protected area includes the North Atoll, South Atoll and Jessie Beazley Reef, surrounded by deep open ocean. Its remote location has helped preserve an exceptionally rich marine ecosystem.
Tubbataha was first inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993, with the World Heritage property later extended in 2009. UNESCO recognises the park for its outstanding natural value, biodiversity and ecological importance.
Unlike many diving destinations in the Philippines, there are no resorts or permanent tourist facilities within the park.
Tubbataha diving is therefore primarily a liveaboard experience.
For divers, that remoteness is a major part of its attraction.
Why Is Tubbataha Famous for Diving?
Tubbataha sits within the Coral Triangle, one of the world’s most biologically diverse marine regions.
UNESCO reports that the park supports more than 360 species of coral and almost 700 species of fish. It also provides important habitat for sharks, turtles, cetaceans and large pelagic species.
Divers visit Tubbataha for the combination of healthy coral reefs, walls, drop-offs and the possibility of seeing larger marine life.
Depending on the site, season and conditions, marine life found within the park can include:
- Whitetip reef sharks and other shark species
- Green and hawksbill turtles
- Manta rays
- Whale sharks
- Barracuda
- Trevally and jacks
- Tuna
- Napoleon wrasse
- Large schools of tropical reef fish
- Extensive hard and soft coral communities
As with all wildlife encounters, nothing underwater can be guaranteed. That unpredictability is part of what makes diving a natural marine environment so rewarding.
What Is Diving Tubbataha Like?
Tubbataha is particularly well known for its reef walls and drop-offs.
UNESCO describes extensive reef flats and perpendicular walls descending beyond 100 metres, with deep ocean surrounding the reef systems.
A typical Tubbataha liveaboard allows divers to complete multiple dives each day at different locations around the park.
Conditions vary between sites and days. Currents are part of the Tubbataha environment, and dive planning is normally adjusted according to sea conditions and the experience of the divers.
This is one reason why Tubbataha particularly appeals to experienced divers who are comfortable diving from boats and in changing ocean conditions.
When Is the Best Time to Dive Tubbataha?
Access to Tubbataha is highly seasonal.
Because the reefs are located in the open Sulu Sea, liveaboard operations take place during the period when sea and weather conditions are generally most suitable for making the crossing and diving the park.
If Tubbataha is the main reason for your trip to the Philippines, plan this part of your holiday first.
Liveaboard spaces can be limited, so booking well ahead is sensible, particularly if you have fixed travel dates.
Your chosen Tubbataha liveaboard operator should always be your source for the latest sailing dates, itinerary, certification requirements and individual trip conditions.
How Do You Get to Tubbataha Reef?
For most divers, the gateway to Tubbataha is Puerto Princesa in Palawan.
Tubbataha itself is remote. UNESCO documentation places the reefs roughly 80 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa in the Sulu Sea.
Divers normally join their liveaboard in Puerto Princesa and travel by boat to the marine park.
This means Tubbataha isn’t somewhere you visit for a single day of diving from the coast.
The journey, living aboard the dive vessel and completing multiple dives over several days are all part of the Tubbataha experience.
Tubbataha Is a Protected Marine Environment
Tubbataha isn’t simply a collection of dive sites. It is a highly protected natural park.
Commercial tourism operators must obtain permits, and visitors entering the park require a Visitor Entry Permit and pay a conservation fee. The Tubbataha Management Office currently lists the visitor conservation fee at ₱5,000 per person, although travellers should check current fees with their liveaboard operator when booking.
These conservation measures are important.
Tubbataha’s value extends well beyond tourism. UNESCO describes the park as playing an important ecological role in reproduction, dispersal and colonisation of marine organisms throughout the wider Sulu Sea system.
Responsible diving, good buoyancy control and respect for the reef are therefore particularly important when visiting Tubbataha.
What Should You Do After Diving Tubbataha?
Continue Your Palawan Diving Adventure in El Nido
After several days aboard a Tubbataha liveaboard, El Nido is an excellent place to continue your Palawan diving holiday.
The experience is quite different.
Tubbataha is remote, open-ocean, liveaboard diving.
El Nido combines diving with the extraordinary landscape of Bacuit Bay — limestone cliffs, tropical islands, beaches and coral reefs — while allowing you to stay on land in the centre of town.
Instead of treating the two destinations as alternatives, consider combining them.
Tubbataha + El Nido
Tubbataha gives you the remote liveaboard and open-ocean experience.
El Nido gives you island diving, Bacuit Bay scenery, beachfront accommodation, restaurants, cafés and the freedom to combine diving with the rest of your Palawan holiday.
Together, they can create a much more complete Palawan diving experience.
Diving in El Nido After Tubbataha
El Nido offers numerous dive sites around the islands of Bacuit Bay.
Rather than travelling long distances offshore on a liveaboard, your diving day can begin directly from town.
Dive sites can offer coral reefs, walls, rock formations, sandy areas and a variety of tropical marine life. Conditions vary, so experienced local dive teams select sites according to weather, currents, visibility and diver experience.
For divers coming directly from Tubbataha, El Nido also provides an opportunity to enjoy a more relaxed style of diving.
You can spend several days exploring different areas of Bacuit Bay without living aboard another boat.
Dive El Nido with Submariner Diving Center
Submariner Diving Center has been diving the waters around El Nido for more than 15 years.
Located directly on the beachfront in El Nido town, Submariner offers daily diving in Bacuit Bay for certified divers, as well as courses, beginner diving experiences and private diving.
Our team selects dive sites according to the day’s conditions and the experience of the divers.
For experienced divers arriving after a Tubbataha liveaboard, tell us what you’ve already been diving and what you’d like to experience in El Nido. We can help you make the most of your remaining diving days in Palawan.
Looking for Private Diving in El Nido?
For divers who want more flexibility after a liveaboard, our Private Diving Experience offers a different way to explore Bacuit Bay.
A private boat allows the diving day to be organised around your group, experience, conditions and interests rather than following the normal shared-trip schedule.
This can be particularly appealing to:
Experienced divers • Couples • Families • Small groups • Underwater photographers • Divers travelling with non-diving partners
It’s also a great way to finish a special Palawan diving holiday.
Stay on the Beach and Dive From Your Doorstep
After living aboard a dive boat at Tubbataha, you may be ready for a comfortable room, a good coffee and a little more space.
At The Beach House El Nido, you can stay beachfront with Submariner Diving Center in the same building.
Wake up by the beach, enjoy breakfast and coffee at Hot Gossip Coffee Shop, then simply walk downstairs for your day’s diving.
After diving, head upstairs to our rooftop restaurant and bar for dinner, drinks and spectacular views across El Nido and Bacuit Bay.
You’re also in the heart of El Nido town, with restaurants, cafés, bars and shops within easy walking distance.
Stay & Dive – Save 10%
Book your accommodation at The Beach House and your diving with Submariner and save 10% on both.
Book online at the regular price and receive your 10% discount refund when you arrive.
Planning a Tubbataha and El Nido Diving Holiday
If you’re travelling a long way to dive Tubbataha, it’s worth considering more than one Palawan diving destination.
A trip combining Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park and El Nido gives you two very different underwater experiences within Palawan.
Start with the remote reefs and open ocean of Tubbataha.
Then continue north to El Nido, slow the pace down and explore the reefs and islands of Bacuit Bay.
Stay beachfront, dive from your doorstep, enjoy El Nido town in the evenings and turn your Tubbataha expedition into a wider Palawan diving holiday.
