Exploring the beauty of the UNESCO World Heritage Site
At A Glance
- The Philippine reef system is gorgeous. I am lucky and spoiled as a Filipino diver to access it at my convenience.
By Jenna Sy
Underwater images by Anthony Ober
GUARDIANS OF THE REEF The author with the Tubbataha rangers, and her dive buddies
If there is one thing to be proud of about the Philippines, it is definitely the Tubbataha Reefs National Park, our rainforest of the sea. It was declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1993. No wonder that the Philippines' highest denomination of banknotes, the ₱1,000 polymer banknote, shows an image of the Tubbataha and the most lovable pawikan (sea turtle). For local divers, Tubbataha is a mecca of Philippine diving. Foreign divers have it on their bucket list as well. But what, a Filipino non-diver may ask, is all the fuss about diving in Tubbataha? I had no idea until I experienced it myself.
HOME ON THE RANGE Tubbataha Ranger Station
After some meticulous planning, I found myself at the port in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, one morning, poised to embark on my Tubbataha trip. Along with other divers, I boarded a boat on a trip that took six hours before we reached the nearest Tubbataha atoll, the Jessie Beazley. Having rested on the boat and waking up in the Sulu Sea, we started the series of dives for the week, which took place all around the three atolls of Tubbataha… Jessie Beazley, the South Atoll, and the North Atoll.
BEAUTIES OF THE SEA Corals spotted within the Tubbataha Reef
Beautiful corals spanned the atolls. The Philippine reef system is gorgeous. I am lucky and spoiled as a Filipino diver to access it at my convenience. I was surprised at the number of reef fish we encountered in the days we were diving. It did not occur to me that the Philippines is part of the coral triangle, and Tubbataha is a marine protected area. Schools of sweetlips, snappers, groupers, barracuda, jackfish, and batfish are only a few of the fish species I can remember. We even had the privilege of witnessing a huge school of bumphead parrotfish (numbering by the hundreds!) feeding.
I shouldn’t forget to mention the rays and the sharks. Oh, how lovely it was to witness the manta ray, eagle ray, and the limitless number of juvenile reef sharks gliding around the deep ocean. It was a party underwater! I would have loved to have sighted huge pelagic sharks, but seeing the abundance of juvenile reef sharks was also special. It only meant that Tubbataha is a safe place for the common whitetip and blacktip reef sharks to reproduce.
While the beautiful reefs of the Tubbataha are without a doubt a natural Philippine national treasure, I do feel we haven't acknowledged the personnel tirelessly protecting and maintaining our UNESCO World Heritage Site enough. Though the diving window in Tubbataha is only between March and June, dedicated rangers, coast guards, researchers, and staff stay in the middle of the ocean throughout the year, away from their families, and risk their lives in the brutal typhoons and the habagat (southwest monsoon) just to safeguard the area from illegal fishing and poaching. They deserve respect and recognition; they are heroes.
A week of diving in Tubbataha went by quickly. Settling down on my flight back to Manila, it was only then that I was able to catch my breath and get the chance to reflect and appreciate the marine protected area. I couldn’t be any prouder to be Filipino. We are lucky to be endowed with an unspoiled marine sanctuary. Tubbataha may be far from home, but I hope we can help protect our ocean in all the small ways we can. We only have one Tubbataha after all.
Tips for Tubbataha diving:
• Gain experience. Tubbataha may have strong underwater currents–come armed with a minimum of 50 diving experience.
• Prepare essentials. The marine national park is far from land. One must stay on the boat for a week. Just so you know, there is zero mobile phone signal, and Starlink internet connection may not be available or consistent. Keep in mind that there are no establishments for supplies, either, so it’s best to bring everything that you think you will need. I suggest throwing in a medicine kit (including seasick pills) as well.
• Book early. A diving season in Tubbataha is only four months long, as it ends when the habagat season begins. Divers from all over the world book the trip one to two years in advance.
• Get insurance. The trip is weather-dependent. It is wise to get travel insurance for any trip cancellations.
