Tubbataha - Philippines and Palau - Scuba Diving Liveaboard

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Underground River Tour

Measuring 99,600 hectares in size, the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is made up of 2 atolls rising in the middle of the Sulu Sea. A recent Study just finished by Conservation International has just confirmed what Scientists long theorized--that it is the nursery for fish and coral larvae that populates the Sulu-Sulawesi Triangle an area that not only covers the most important and productive fishing grounds of the Philippines but extends as far south as Malaysia and Indonesia.

So important is this submerged structure in the balance of the underwater eco- system that UNESCO declared it a world heritage site as far back as 1993. In 1998, Former Philippine President Fidel Ramos, a keen diver himself, created Task Force Tubbataha and a station equipped with radar and manned by zealous rangers was established and now guards the park 24/7.

Several factors are responsible for the almost virgin conditions of this underwater jewel. The convergence of currents constantly brings in a barrage of the nutrients and clean water a healthy reef and its inhabitants demand. Being the largest and almost lone structure in the middle of a vast expanse of ocean guarantees a healthy influx of pelagic visitors looking for a meal and other services an underwater community provides.

Being almost a hundred nautical miles from the nearest port, access is only through Scuba Diving Live-aboard vessels and voyages to the park are determined by the weather. A small window-from late March to early June when calm seas and clear skies are the best and only times for divers to visit. The strong winds and rough swells the rest of the year deters both authorized and un-authorized incursions into the park and permits the reef to settle back into its natural state of regeneration.

St. Paul's Underground River Tour
		The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is located about 50 kilometers (2 hours drive) north of the city of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines. The National Park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the northern coast of the island. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. Like Tubbataha, this is a UNESCO World heritage site. It features a limestone Karst mountain landscape with an 8.2 km. navigable underground river. A distinguishing feature of the river is that it winds through a cave before flowing directly into the South China Sea. It includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers. The lower portion of the river is subject to tidal influences. The underground river is reputed to be the world's 2nd longest. read more ...