Is it safe to dive in Tubbataha Reef?

Diving Tubbataha Reef is famous for its incredible marine biodiversity, dynamic underwater terrain, and a wide variety of large marine animals including sea turtles, manta rays, and various shark species. Tubbataha Park ranks number one on our list of Best Diving in the Philippines.

What happened to Tubbataha?

The USS Guardian minesweeper ran aground on the Tubbataha Reef, a Unesco World Heritage Site, in January 2013. It caused damage to more than 2,345 sq m (25,240 sq ft) of coral. The ship was eventually dismantled to avoid causing further damage.

Why is Tubbataha Reef in danger?

Human-induced climate change is perhaps the single biggest threat to the future of Tubbataha. Under stress, such as increased water temperatures and ocean acidification, corals may expel their zooxanthellae, which leads to a lighter or completely white appearance, termed ‘bleached’.

How much does it cost to dive in Tubbataha?

The Budget Tubbataha Liveaboard trip cost 1365 USD including the environmental fees.

How deep is Tubbataha Reef?

Average depth in this area is 65 feet (20 meters) and can reach to 200 feet (61 meters) deep. It has steep wall with overhangs, swim throughs and crevices. The reef top is covered with some beautiful hard corals and you can find sharks laying on the sandy area also you can see giant reef ray there.

What is the temperature of the Tubbataha Reef?

The water temperature is within the range of 26-28C/85-92F, while the air temperature is about 27-30C/89-98F.

Who protects Tubbataha Reef?

The Tubbataha Act The Republic Act 10067, known as the TRNP Act, provides the legal and institutional framework for enforcement in the Tubbataha Reefs. The statute defines the authority of the Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board (TPAMB) to impose sanctions against violators.

Why is Tubbataha Reef important?

The Tubbataha Reef is an important habitat sustaining a high diversity of marine life providing the Sulu Sea and eastern coastline of Palawan with fish and invertebrate larvae. In the late 1980s exploitative fishing and the use of massively destructive fishing methods threatened the ecosystem.

What is the first National Marine Park in the Philippines?

The Tubbataha Reef
– The Tubbataha Reef location is within the Coral Triangle, a global focus for coral biological diversity. – In 1988, President Corazon Aquino designated Tubbataha a national marine park—the first in the Philippines’ history. – UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 1993.

What are the species that live in Tubbataha Reef?

Giant trevally (jacks), hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized Moorish idols, napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, and moray eels live in the sanctuary. There also have been reported sightings of whale sharks and tiger sharks.

What makes Tubbataha Reef beautiful?

Tubbataha Reef is known for its extraordinary biodiversity, abundant marine life and breathtaking drop-offs into the open ocean. The area covers 130,028 hectares of high quality marine habitats containing three atolls and a large area of deep sea.