Palawan, Philippines

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Sulu Sea Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard

7 Days • Monthly

Dive with Dolphin Liveaboard

$4,893.00 AUD

$4,893.00 AUD ~~$5,220.00 AUD~~

Tax included.

Cabin Type: Lower Deck Bunk Cabin

Lower Deck Bunk Cabin Main Deck Bunk Cabin Lower Deck Twin Cabin Main Deck VIP Master Cabin

Accommodation: Twin Share

Twin Share Double Occupancy Single Occupancy

This six-night dive cruise sails overnight from Puerto Princesa across the Sulu Sea to Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 10 hours offshore and is open to liveaboards only from March to June. You start with an orientation dive at the Malayan Wreck or Jessie Beazley, then spend a day on the North Atoll, from the Terraces to Shark Airport, Seafan Alley and the Washing Machine drift. The next day is on the South Atoll, at Black Rock, Staghorn Point, Triggerfish City and the Delsan Wreck, ending with a sunset visit to the ranger station. You return to whichever atoll is diving best before a final day at Jessie Beazley Reef.

The first dive goes in at 6:30, with the light still low as you drop onto the reef top. You fin to the edge, and the wall falls away beneath you. A school of jacks wheels off the drop-off, a turtle rises past for air, and somewhere out in the blue a large shadow passes that could be a thresher or a hammerhead. Four dives later the sun is going down, and the boat is anchored far from any land.

Trip Highlights & Key Regional Features

Dive Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Sulu Sea, open to liveaboards only from March to June
Walls dropping more than 100 metres, where thresher sharks, hammerheads and whale sharks are seen
North Atoll sites from the Terraces to Shark Airport, including Seafan Alley and the Washing Machine drift
South Atoll sites including Black Rock, Staghorn Point, Triggerfish City and the Delsan Wreck
A sunset visit to the Tubbataha Ranger Station and its sandbar
A final day at Jessie Beazley Reef
Up to 4 guided dives a day from fibreglass chase boats
A small group of up to 18 divers

What's Included

6 nights in an air-conditioned cabin above the waterline with a private bathroom
Buffet meals, snacks, coffee, tea, soft drinks and filtered water
Up to 4 guided dives a day from fibreglass chase boats
12 L aluminium tanks, weights and air fills
Daily towels and cabin cleaning
Safety equipment: first aid kit, emergency oxygen and life vests
Transfers between your hotel, the airport or the port in Puerto Princesa

Itinerary

Day 1: Puerto Princesa
Board between 14:00 and 18:00. Dinner is at 19:00, then the boat sails overnight to Tubbataha.

Day 2: Orientation dive
Be in the water by 06:30. Two dives in the morning and two in the afternoon, finishing near sunset. The usual first sites are the Malayan Wreck or Jessie Beazley.

Day 3: North Atoll
The day covers one of three areas: the north end (Terraces to Shark Airport, including Seafan Alley and the Washing Machine), the south end (Amos Rock to South Park) or the southwest corner (Malayan Wreck to Wall Street).

Day 4: South Atoll
At the north end, dive Ko-ok, T-Wreck and Black Rock. At the south end, dive Southwest Wall, Staghorn Point, Triggerfish City and the Delsan Wreck. The day ends at the Ranger Station and the sandbar at sunset.

Day 5: Either atoll
The boat goes wherever conditions are best. In the evening there's dinner on the upper deck, with karaoke and dancing.

Day 6: Jessie Beazley Reef
Dive the west or east end, then sail back to Puerto Princesa.

Day 7: Puerto Princesa
The boat arrives before 03:00. Transfers go to the airport or your hotel.

Dive sites depend on weather, surface conditions and currents. Allow at least 24 hours between your last dive and your flight.

Agencies

AIDA
Apnea Academy
Apnea Total
CMAS
FII
Molchanovs
PADI
PFI
RAID
SSI
NAUI
SDI
ADIP

Languages

English
Tagalog

Meeting Point

Click to view the location.

Important

Requirements

Minimum certification: Advanced Open Water, plus at least 50 logged dives.
Each diver must carry a dive computer and a surface marker buoy. Night divers need a main torch and a backup torch.
Dive insurance and travel insurance are required.

Mandatory fees

Tubbataha conservation fee: amount to be confirmed by the operator (PHP 5,000, about USD 80, per diver in 2020).

Optional extras

Nitrox: price to be confirmed by the operator.
Rental equipment: regulator, BCD or computer about USD 6.39 per day each; wetsuit USD 4.00 per day; mask, boots, fins or SMB USD 1.60 per day each (2020 rates).
Laundry, massage and alcoholic drinks: prices on request.
Crew tips: 5 to 10% of the cruise price recommended.

Good to know

All cabins have air conditioning and a private bathroom with hot shower.
Payment on board is in cash (USD, EUR or PHP).

Cancellations

Life happens so we keep cancellations simple. Enjoy free cancellation for 14 days from the time of booking or find an equally qualified suitable replacement up to 30 days prior to diving.

Sulu Sea Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard