Above: Exotic views in Tubbataha Reef

Currently Tubbataha reef is being voted as one of the 7 wonders of the world, together with Bohol’s Chocolate Hills. Tubbataha being situated near one of the Island Paradise in the Philippines, highlighting Tubbata could actually be one of the reasons that contributed to it’s Paradise title. Having my thumbs crossed that it will earn the award of one of the 7 wonders of the world, later on in this article you will discover why without having to go there yourself. First off, it is wonderful.

There are two atolls making up Tubbataha’s ecosystem that is situated in the middle of the Sulu Sea. It is the sea diver’s sanctuary, it is the paradise of all paradise in marine life. The reefs are found in the Cagayan Ridge where the dead underwater volcanoes lie starting from the north to at the Sultana Shoal and ending in the south of the San Miguel Islands. From Puerto Princesa City it is 92 nautical miles from Palawan and around 80 nautical miles from southwest of Cagayancillo, and is the municipality that is currently practicing jurisdiction over the said reef. In August 11, 1988, it was proclaimed as a National Marine Park and was one of the inscribed UNESCO World Heritage in 1993, meaning that this place had withstood recognition of a rich and highly valued marine life in the world,

The name Tubbataha came from a Samal dialect, the place where the People has an extreme share of seafaring in the Sulu Region. Tubbataha means long reef exposed in low tide. Tubbataha has two parts of two attols made up of 10,000 hectares of corals and abundant form of marine life. In Tubbataha, there is only a little part of land that can be found in its area having around 2 meters of land above sea level would be it’s highest. The place and atolls have shallow lagoons surrounded by a mere 200 to 500 meters worth of reef which ends in a steep deep drop off in sea like a cliff underneath water. The atoll’s edges are made up of reef crests in low tide are exposed creating landscape at the tip of the sea.Tubbataha is well know in the southern part of the Philippines as a fisher folk. It had been branded as “Gusong” meaning coral reef by the locals of Cagayancillo, as a rich garden of coral reefs. It was only in the 1970’s that Cagayanons had adapted the name Tubbataha as they were the primary users of the Coral Reef Paradise. While in the summer months, they sail in wooden sailboats called balangay or pangko, in as long as a month worth of fishing trip.

The remoteness of Tubbataha was the main key that contributed to it’s being unexploited through time. The Philippines is affected as Tubbataha is open to shifting winds creating rough seas such as the habagat, amihan and daplak, creating fearce storms and only brief periods of weather calmness. But one the safe mode of this place takes off, it is always worth the trip and even if you’re not a diver enthusiast, you might just change your mind when you see what is underneath there. The best time to travel going to Tubbataha would be the months of summer which is form March to May.

There was a first recorded visit by a naturalist named Dean Worcester in 1911 to Tubbataha. He described the place as a Bird’s Island where he found thousand of seabirds nesting there. Having been astounded by birds, he didn’t take note of what lies underneath the sea and only what is that of a flat low sandy island that was 75 meters long and 400 meters wide. After seventy years another record had been made by Robert Kennedy himself to that Island, he said that the island had shrunk by almost 70 percent. Now the area of Tubbataha is only 23 percent from what have been recorded of it since 1911. It’s also ironic to thinkg that even if the place is crawling with sea birds that feed on fish, the abundance of rich marine life have stayed put. The place also speak of how dynamic nature can be in all of it’s aspects.

If you’re interested to get to the place now, we are linking you to the Cruises that will get you there. And the list goes on below.

Ways to Make the Ocean Venture NOW:

Adventure Bound Inc.
Vessel: M/Y Vasco
Address: Unit LG2 Alfaro Place Condominium
L.P. Leviste St., Salcedo Village
Makati City 1227 Philippines
Contact Person: Alex Floro or Allan Corona

Tristar Seaventure, Inc
Vessel: Tristar
Add: UG 48 Cityland Pasong Tamo
Condominium, 6264 Estacion St.
Pio Del Pilar Makati City 1231
Contact Person: David Choy / Lettie Serrana
Tel / Fax: 02 750 4071
Email: davidchoy [at] hotpop [dot] com

Southern Cruise Corporation
Pakna-an, Mandaue City
Vessel: Southern Cruise
Contact Person: Tonette Pilapil
Tel: 032-3460789, 3451040
Fax: 895 79 32
Cell: 0917 546 1571
Email: shemberg [at] bizlinks [dot] net [dot] ph
bensondakay [at] shemberg [dot] com [dot] ph

Cruise Island Adventure Inc.
Vessels: Apo Explore / Oceanic Explorer
Stella Maris Explorer/ Eco Explorer
Add: Rm 405 Metrostar Bldg., Metropolitan
Ave., Makati City 1200 Philippines
Contact Person: Amy G. Galban
Tel: 0632-890 6778
Fax: 0632-729 6571
Email: info [at] cia [dot] com [dot] ph
Web: www.expeditionfleet.com
Puerto Princesa City Liaison Office:
Contact Person: Eloisa Flor/ 0918 2068315
Tel: 433 7867
Scuba World Makati City
1181 Vito Cruz cor Kakarong St.
Makati City, Philippines
Tel: (632) 895-3551/ 890-7805/ 890-7807
Fax: (632) 890-8982
Email: sales [at] scubaworld [dot] com [dot] ph
Website: www.scubaworld.com.ph

ABC Dive Coron
Vessel: Maribeth (local)
Add:Bayside Divers Lodge
5316-Coron, Busuanga Island Philippines
Contact Person: Georg Nicca
Contact Num: +63 0919-632-1136
E-Mail: info [at] abcdive [dot] com
Internet: www.abcdive.com

Urs Reschestiener
Vessel: Jinn Sulu (local)
Tel: 433 4709
Add: PO Box 189 Puerto Princesa City
5300 Palawan, Philippines
Email: queenanne [at] gmx [dot] ch
Web: www.queenannedivers.com.ph

Mark Bratschi
Vessel: Moonshadow (local)
Add: PO Box 107
Puerto Princesa City Palawan
Tel: 434 5079
Email: info [at] moonshadow [dot] ch
Web: www.moonshadow.ch

Location

Tubbataha is situated in the middle of Sulu Sea lying in the realms of Cagayan Ridge. Located 90 nautical miles from south east of Puerto Princesa City Palawan and from Cagayancillo 80 nautical miles from southwest.

Tourism

Aside from Tubbataha being a sea wonder, it has helped in increasing tourism in the Philippines as well as creating awareness on why the Coral Reefs need to be conserved.

The dive season could be flexible in an aspect that it really depends on the weather itself but it usually runs better in the months of March to June where there is flat seas, clear skies and gives excellent visibility under sea in around 30 to 45 meters under sea level.

Conservation Fee for the place would cost Php 3000 and this around $60 dollars, however it’s a money well spent. There are Park Rules in diving and everyone must follow it. The regulations can be searched online can be downloadable. This is aiming to help protect the reef commercial destructions that may be possible.

In 2001 tourists and visitors that came to Tubbataha reef reached a significant rise receiving around 700 visitors and doubling in 2006 by 1,400. The revenues taken from this tourist spot is used to conserve the piece of marine paradise itself. To manage and maintain the park, annual installations of mooring buoys to avoid boats to put down their anchors in the place causing damages on the reefs. Some also goes to the training of Park Rangers and educational campaigns for both tourists and local visitors to Palawan.

Start making that vote right now and know you won’t even have to visit the place yourself to get a grasp of its value. If you visit the place then that’s far much better, because it would be a total shame to go somewhere out of the country and not even try to explore the own wonders of your country itself.