Tubbataha Reef Dive Sites and Maps - Subic, Manila, Anilao, Philippines

Join Diver's Network in Tubbataha Reef

In 1994, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Tubbataha as World Heritage Site, one of three in the Philippines ( the others being the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park and Banaue rice Terraces).

Tubbataha Reef is located in the middle of the Central Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City. It is composed of two large shallow reef platforms enclosing a sandy lagoon. On the seaward portions of the reef platform are steep, often perpendicular reef walls extending to 50 feet. Most of the park area is submerged, with only a few permanent emergent sandy islands.

The two atolls are named the North and South Reefs or Islets. The former is a large, oblong-shaped continuous reef platform about 4-5 km wide and completely encloses a sandy lagoon. The reef is shallow and emergent in some places at extreme low tide. The South Reef likewise is a small triangular-shaped reef about 1-2 km wide . Like the North Reef it consists of a shallow platform enclosing a sandy lagoon. On the southern tip of this reef is a 2-3 ha. Coral line-sand island, the South Islet where the lighthouse stands. This islet is a rookery site for birds and turtles.

Itinerary

Rate Includes

• Land transfers in Puerto Princessa
• Twin share accommodation for stated nights
• All meals and snacks on board
• Unlimited diving including tanks, weights boats and guide

Rate Does Not Include

• Park Fees
• Equipment Rental
• Drinks on board
• Domestic flights, airport taxes or Manila transfers

Tubbataha Reef DIVE SITES.

1. Jessie Beazley Reef - 5 star 2. Southern End of the Reef - 5 star

Location: 26 km(14 nautical miles) northwest of Tubbataha Reef North Islet, 9 hrs from Puerto Princesa.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats.
Conditions: Normally calm with a swell, with medium to strong currents. The currents can be very strong at times of spring tides and can often reverse suddenly. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft. The currents can take you either way, east or west, along the drop-off. The reef is small enough to be covered in two dives.
Average depth: 92 ft Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

Your fist come across a rich coral slope from 16 ft to 33 ft then a wall, often undercut to 130 ft sloping out into the depths. The reef-top is covered in lettuce and leathery Sarcophyton corals. It is teeming with small reef fish, but the walls have everything. Huge gorgonian sea fans, black corals, Dendronephthya soft tree corals and barrel sponges are everywhere. Whitetip reef sharks, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, large groupers, Napoleon Wrasse, tuna, trevallies, barracuda and mackerel appear out of the blue. Spiny lobsters can be found in many small holes, and the overhangs have Tubastrea corals and Blue Sponges.

Most striking are the many large schools of fish, some of which stay in one place, some of which follow you around. There are unusually large numbers of Sabre Squirrelfish and Bigeyes, Midnight Snappers, Black and White Snappers, jacks, Vlaming's Unicorn fish, Rainbow Runners, Emperors, pennantfish, batfish, Spotted Sweetlips and lined Sweetlips. Angelfish(especially Royal, Emperor and Yellowmask) and butterflyfish(especially Dusky, Longnose, Chevron, Blackback, lined and raccoon) flit around. All the possible triggerfish, including the clown triggerfish, groupers and hawkfish are here, and at the western end there are often Grey Reef Sharks and Whitetip Reef Sharks resting on the sand at the base of the wall.

The southern end of the reef has more extensive reef-top, with good stony, whip and leathery corals plus very large table corals and with parrotfish, trumpertfish, cornetfish, rabbiftfish, hawkfish, anthias, boxfish and fire gobies among everything else. Every hole seems to be a home for Redtooth Triggerfish. Manta Rays and Eagle Rays are common, and pelagic visitors are possible anytime. This is tremendous diving and a great reef for photographers.

3. TUBBATAHA REEF (NORTH ISLET, NORTH FACE) - 5 star

Location: The north face of Tubbataha Reef North Islet 98 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm with some swell. Strong currents can take you in either direction and change without warning. These can become really fierce, but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 100 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

This north end of the reef has a sandy slope with coral heads to 50 ft, then drops as a wall with caves and crevices to deeper than sports divers can dive. The coral cover on the reef-top is good with plenty of stony, leathery and whip corals, among which you find large Guitar Sharks, Leopard Sharks, immature Manta Rays, Blue spotted Lagoon Rays, Eagle Rays, flounders and turtles.

The wall, with its overhangs and crevices, has huge gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges, black corals and soft corals, Grey Reef Sharks, Whitetip Reef Sharks, Blacktip Reef Sharks, snappers, Moorish Idols, sweetlips, jacks, trevallies, surgeonfish, squirrelfish, soldierfish and groupers. Large Manta Rays are common at the surface and pelagic visitors are possible at any time.

4. TUBBATAHA REEF (NORTH ISLET, EAST FACE) - 5 star

Location: The east face of Tubbataha Reef North Islet.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm, with some swell and strong currents that can take you in either direction and change suddenly. A 3 ft well is divevable. The currents can become really fierce but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

A rich slope of corals on sand to between 45 ft and 65 ft leads to a wall with overhangs, caves and crevices down to deeper than sports scuba divers can dive.

This is a great site for a dusk dive, when there is lots of action as the fish are feeding, though the current can be a nuisance to photographers. Just about every possible Pacific reef fish is in evidence, including trumpertfish, cornetfish, anthias, damselfish, anemones with clownfish, angelfish, butterflyfish, lionfish, scorpionfish, boxfish, peacock groupers, Titan, Clown, Orange-striped and redtooth triggerfish, pufferfish, parrotfish, hawkfish, bird wrasse and female napoleon wrasse. Guitar sharks, sea stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, feather duster worms, garden eels, segmented worms and nudibrancs are on the sand, and crinoids are everywhere.

The wall is wonderfully rich in gorgonian sea fans and soft corals, both of which are very large below 100ft. Large fish patrol the wall, especially jacks, trevallies, tuna, rainbow runners, barracuda, blacktip reef and whitetip reef sharks, snappers and various fusiliers, cardinalfish and emperors. Manta rays and turtles are common near the surface.

5. TUBBATAHA REEF(NORTH ISLET, SOUTHWEST CORNER) 5 star

Location: The southwest corner of Tubbataha Reef North Islet.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm, with some swell and strong currents that can take you in either direction and change suddenly. A 1m swell is drivable. The currents can become really fierce but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

A shallow reef slopes to between 33ft and 65 ft and then drops off as a wall to deeper than sports divers can go. The slope is very rich, with stony whip and leathery corals on sand, teeming with small reef fish and several Guitar Sharks. There are sightings of leopard(variegated) Shark here.

Huge gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges(covered in Alabaster Sea Cucumbers) and Dendronephthya soft tree corals cover the wall together with shoals of most of the local reef fish. Among the angelfish are sixbanded angelfish and semicircle angelfish. There are schools of snappers, unicornfish, jacks, trevallies, barracuda and fusiliers.

6. TUBBATAHA REEF(NORTH ISLET, SOUTHEAST CORNER) - 5 star

Location: The southeast corner of Tubbataha Reef North Islet.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm with some swell. Strong currents can take you either direction and change without warning; these can become really fierce, but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

A gentle slope rich in mixed corals reach to 40 ft then a wall drops to deeper than sports divers can dive. The reef-top, which covers quite a large area here, has Giant Clams and octopuses, Leopardfish Sea Cucumbers and Bohadschia sea cucumbers. Sightings of Star Pufferfish with attendant remoras and guitar sharks.

Just over the wall, near the corner itself, is a cave that often contains resting a full-size Tawny Nurse Shark; other crevices contain Spiny lobsters, schools of snappers, sweetlips, Moorish idols, surgeonfish, fusiliers, angelfish and butterflyfish hang off the wall, which is rich in large gorgonian sea fans, garrel sponges, hydroids and soft corals. Whitetip, Blacktip and Grey Reef Sharks, groupers and Napoleon Wrasse can be seen in deeper water, while Manta Rays, Eagle Rays and turtles are frequently seen near the surface. A good dive for photographers.

7. TUBBATAHA REEF (SOUTH ISLET, NORTH/NORTHEAST END - 5 star

Location: The north and northeast end of Tubbataha Reef South Islet.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm, with some swell and strong currents that can take you in either direction and change suddenly. A 3ft swell is divable. The currents can become really fierce but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

A rich reef sloping to between 33 and 65 ft ends in an equally rich wall going down to deeper than sports divers may go. The wall has gorgonian sea fans and barrel sponges as good as those on the North Islet, and even better soft corals.

There are good schools of reef fish and seemingly more pelagic species that at Tubbataha Reef North Islet, including mackerel, barracuda and Rainbow Runners. The many caves and crevices contain Spiny Lobsters, squirrelfish, soldierfish and occasionally resting Whitetip Reef Sharks. Green and Hawksbill Turtles, Eagle Rays and Manta Rays have been seen here.

8. TUBBATAHA REEF(SOUTH iSLET, SOUTH/ SOUTHEAST/ SOUTHWEST END - 5 star

Location: Drifting with the current either side of the Delsan wreck which is high and dry on top of the reef.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally calm with some swell. Strong currents can take you in either direction and change without warning, these can become really fierce, but you would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

This is much the same as scuba diving at the islet's north/northeast end, but with a far larger area of shallow reef-top. It is rich in the smaller reef-fish life, leathery corals, whip corals, sponges, anemones with clownfish, other damselfish, chromis and anthias. Blue spotted Lagoon Rays, sea cucumbers and sea stars are common on the sandy patches. The shallow water near the lighthouse has sea grass, which is attractive to turtles.

9. BASTERRA REEF(NORTH END) - 5 star

Location: The northern end of Basterra Reef, 50 nautical miles southwest of Tubbataha Reef South Islet, over the submerged remains of the Tristar B.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell with strong currents which can change without warning, but there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can sometimes reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 80 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

Basterra Reef is very small and scuba diving is similar to that of Jessie Beazly Reef and the Tubbataha Reefs, but with even more fish action. With a strong current you could cover more than half of the reef in one dive; it is quite normal to start at the wreck of the Tristar B, be carried by the current to the wreck of the Oceanic and then find that the current turns you back as you round the corner or vice versa.

If you start over the Trista B, the current takes you either east or south. There is a gentle slope to 33 ft then a drop over a wall to deeper than sport scuba divers can dive. The area immediately around the Tristar B has been heavily damaged by blast-fishing and bad weather. The engine is now separate, outside the wreck. Despite the blasting, there are plenty of fish on the remains of the wreck itself, including snappers, surgeonfish, parrotfish, triggerfish, fusiliers, sweetlips, pufferfish, trevallies, goatfish and wrasse. Several Whitetip Reef Sharks usually hover on the edge of visibility.

Once you are 165 ft away from the wreck, the reef is rich again. There are good stony corals, whip corals and sponges, Spiny Lobsters and octopuses. The healthy wall is just like those on Jessie Beazly Reef, with even larger schools of fish.

10. BASTERRA REEF(EAST FACE) - 5 star

Location: Either side of the wreck of the Oceanic, which is high and dry on top of the reef.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell, with strong currents which can change without warning, but there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. The currents often reverse deeper down. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130ft.
Average depth: 80 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

After a rich coral slope to 25 ft , a wall drops to deeper than sport divers can go. This is possibly the best side of the reef for stony corals, mushroom corals, large table and staghorn corals, lettuce corals, boulder corals and quite a lot of the fire coral. The wall is rich in large gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges, Elephant Ear Sponges, Dendronephthya soft tree corals, Dendrophyllid tree corals, whip corals and hydroids. Schools of fish everywhere, and there are lots of pelagic visitors: Manta Rays, turtles and reef sharks, Titan, Redtooth, Clown and Orange-striped Triggerfish, Moorish Idols, pennantfish, surgeonfish, semicircle angelfish, royal and emperor angelfish, yellowmask angelfish, goatfish, coral trout, peacock groupers, batfish, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse and all the smaller reef fish.

11. BASTERRA, REEF, SOUTH WALL - 5 star

Location: The south tip of Basterra Reef.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell with strong currents which can change without warning, but there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. The currents often reverse deeper down, and they also often reverse during the dive. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 80 ft
Maximum depth: 200 ft plus

A sandy slope interspersed with good coral heads stretches down to 50 ft then a wall drops into the depths. The sandy slope teems with smaller reef fish. Table corals, lettuce corals and leathery corals hide immature moray eels, Whitetip Reef Sharks and Blue Spotted Lagoon Rays. Out on the sand are flounders, garden eels, sand perch, blennies and gobbies.

The wall is rich in gorgonian sea fans, barrel sponges, Elephant Ear Sponges and hydroids; off the wall you find pelagic visitors including tuna, mackerel, turtles, Manta Rays and Hammerhead Sharks, as well as the resident Whitetip, Blacktip and Grey Reef Sharks, barracuda, jacks and snappers. Big schools of pennanfish, surgeons, butterflyfish, Midnight Snappers and fusiliers follow you around.

You often start this dive drifting with the current and later find that it reverses, pushing you back the way you came. The obvious thing to do is to come up 33 ft so that you drift back over different terrain.

12. BANCORAN ISLAND - 3 star

Location: 38 nautical miles west-southwest of Basterra Reef.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell with strong currents which can change without warning, there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 130 ft

This island used to be a popular dive site. The west and northwest faces were five star dives with sandy slopes on which you see lot of turtles, which nested there, and then a wall with many Spiny Lobsters, huge sponges and true Giant Clams, cuttlefish, barracuda, tuna and reef sharks. Sadly, the island is now inhabited, and its star rating suffered accordingly.

13. CALUSA ISLAND - 4 star

Location: 10 nautical miles west-northwest of the southern tip of Cagayan Island.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell, with strong currents which can change without warning, but there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 150 ft

You can scuba dive all round this island, going whichever way the current takes you. /there is a shallow reef-top at 16 ft then a drop-off down to 150 ft. Between blast-fished shallow areas are good table, lettuce, whip and leathery corals, all harbouring small reef fish, many varieties of nudibranchs and flatworms, cornetfish, trumpetfish, Titan, Redtooth, Clown and Orange-striped triggerfish, all the smaller angelfish and butterflyfish. There are patches of garden eels in the sand. The fop-offs have many overhangs and crevices, many of which are at 16 to 23 ft and contain good-sized Spiny Lobsters.

Big gorgonian sea fans exist in only 23 ft of water, which indicates how strong the currents can get. Deeper down there are very bid Dendrohephthya soft tree corals, reef sharks, tuna, Rainbow Runners, groupers and Napoleon Wrasse. All the expected fish are here.

14. CAVILI ISLAND - 4 star

Location: 27 nautical miles southwest of Cagayan Island, 5 nautical miles northeast of Arena Island, 53 nautical miles northeast of Tubbataha Reef North Islet, 3 hours from Arena Island.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell, with strong currents which can change without warning, but a large swell is common and there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Visibility can reach 130 ft. Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 115 ft

Another island with dives all around. A blasted shallow reef-top goes to 13 ft followed by a drop-off to 115 ft on sand. In the shallow water on the drop-off are lots of big gorgonian sea fans, which are torn by bad weather. Deeper down are excellent gorgonians and sponges. On the shallower parts of the drop-off are some very large anemones harbouring clownfish and other damselfish. Plenty of good-sized pelagic's follow you around, but there are not many large schools of fish.

15. ARENA ISLAND, EAST END - 4 star

Location: 5 nautical miles southwest of Cavili Island, 32 nautical miles southwest of Cagayan Island, 48 nautical miles and 13 hrs northeast of Tubbataha Reef North Islet.
Access: By tender from live-aboard boats. Book Now
Conditions: Normally a mild swell, with strong currents which can change without warning, but a large swell is common and there can be a heavy swell with fierce currents. You would not normally dive here in bad conditions. Bad weather sweeps sand off the cays and seaweed farming can affect the visibility, which can reach 80 ft. One has to dive at the eastern end of the reef, well away from the habitation.
Average depth: 65 ft
Maximum depth: 130 ft

Most liveaboard boats are also available for Full Boat Charters. If you have a large group of divers, or a dive club why not book the whole boat? This gives you more freedom to choose dive sites and times, and more flexibility in the itinerary.

If the schedule doesn't suit you, or if you are looking for something different, please contact us and we can maybe provide you with information on some other boats.

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PADI and TDI Instructor and diver courses - Diver's Network - Subic, Manila, Anilao, Philippines.