Tubbataha Reefs: Pristine Coral Atolls in the Heart of the Sulu Sea

Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the central Sulu Sea, 150 km (93 mi) southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.

Geography

• Two atolls: North Reef (16 km × 4.5 km) and South Reef (5 km × 3 km).
• Jessie Beazley Reef (smaller, 20 km north).
• Total area: 97,030 ha (374 mi²) — 90% marine.
• Emergent land: North Islet (bird sanctuary), South Islet (ranger station).

Biodiversity

• 600+ fish species, 360 coral species (½ world's total), 13 shark/ray species, 11 cetaceans.
• Nesting: Hawksbill & green turtles, seabirds (boobies, terns, frigatebirds).
• Pristine due to isolation—no permanent inhabitants, no fishing allowed.

Access & Management

• Liveaboard dive trips only (mid-Mar to mid-Jun, calm seas).
• 10–12 hour boat ride from Puerto Princesa.
• Managed by Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) under Palawan Council for Sustainable Development.
• Rangers stationed year-round; radar surveillance.

Significance

Benchmark for coral reef health; source of larvae for Philippine reefs; climate resilience model. Diving here is world-class—walls, sharks, massive coral cover.

Tubbataha is the "Amazon of the seas" for the Philippines—remote, protected, spectacular.