Tubbataha Reefs

Tubbataha Reefs is a remote, strictly protected natural park in the middle of the Sulu Sea, around 150 km south east of Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. The park covers about 97,000 hectares of reef and open sea, with two large atolls, the North and South Atolls, and the smaller Jessie Beazley Reef. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and the protected area was extended in 2009. Park rangers live on site all year.

Access is by liveaboard only, because the reefs are too far offshore for day boats. Boats sail overnight from Puerto Princesa, a crossing of roughly 10 to 12 hours, and most trips last around six nights with several dives a day across the different reefs.

The park is open to divers for only a short window each year, usually from about mid March to mid June. Outside those months the sea is too rough for the crossing, and the exact dates are confirmed by the park management each year.