The Philippines' remotest dive site — a UNESCO reef wilderness reachable only by liveaboard
Tubbataha Reef Natural Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the middle of the Sulu Sea, 150km from Puerto Princesa, accessible only by liveaboard dive boat. The park protects two coral atolls totalling 97,030 hectares. For dive liveaboards it ranks consistently among the top five sites in the world: schooling hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, manta rays, and enormous schools of barracuda are typical sightings. Open only from mid-March to mid-June.
Tubbataha was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 in recognition of its extraordinary biodiversity and near-pristine condition — the remoteness that makes it difficult to visit has also protected it from the overfishing that devastated many Philippine reefs. In 2013, the USS Guardian ran aground on the reef, triggering a $1.4 million fine to the Philippines.