Travel Asia

Written on October 19, 2008 – 3:02 am | by traveler |

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park palys host to some of the most beautiful coral reefs in the world. The reef is in the depths of the Sulu Sea and holds a wide variety of exotic marine life which is a sanctuary to them. Tubbataha Reef is the Philippines’ only marine natural park and is on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site for being a place of global importance, being preserved for generations to come.

Tubbataha Reefs natural Park has been in the center of a conservation for twenty years now. There are no less than 483 species of fish, 396 species of corals (about half of all coral species in the world), 44 species of birds, 9 species of dolphins & whales and nesting Hawksbill & Green sea turtles. The park contains more or less 10,000 hectares of coral reef and lies at the heart of the coral triangle.

Tourism iis very important for Tubbataha because it is the source of income needed to maintain the park and other park necessities like marine awareness campaigns and reef conservation. March to June is the peak season at the reef because during this time of the year gives excellent diving conditions like clear skies, clam seas and excellent visibility of up to 30 to 45 meters. A conservation fee is being collected from each visitor which will go to the management, maintenance, improvement, law enforcment, educational campaigns and the training of park rangers. There are many accredited dive shops and companies that services Tubbataha reef.

When scuba diving, divers are advised to observe some rules that are designed to protect both the diver and the reef. Some of the rules are:

1. Stay at a safe distance from marine life as well as the corals.
2. Don’t touch any marine animals and avoid wearing gloves as this tends to make divers careless.
3. Don’t chase, grab or block the path of any free-swimming marine animal.
4. Avoid collecting any souvenirs from your dives, even dead corals.
5. Always enter and exit the water in the designated areas.
6. Always check that you are properly weighted and practice your buoyancy control in areas where there is no coral growth.
7. take care not to disturb the sand because sand can smother and kill living corals.

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park can be reached by air. Puerto Princesa City, Palawan is an hour’s flight away from Manila. Dive operators transport the guests from the airport to the wharf, some 5 minutes’ drive away, to the dive boat. Most of the vessels leave after dinner and arrive in Tubbataha at around 6 a.m. Some slower vessels, however, leave the wharf earlier in order to arrive in the Park at first light.