Tubbataha on the southern part of Palawan is strictly 3 months live-aboard
destination. The season start from mid-March to mid-June. It has the best
diving in the country. Since this area is so remote may large fishes come
into the area to feed. Its reefs serve as a breeding grounds, nurseries and
bedrooms to hundreds of fish species.
CORAL reefs are home to an estimated one million species including 2,000 fish species and are considered the tropical rain forests of the oceans. They also happen to be the ecosystems most sensitive to changes in temperature and light.
Coral reefs are fragile geological marvels created by polyps, tiny animals which absorb calcium carbonate from sea water and excrete limestone, from which the reefs are made. The ornate, visually stunning structures are vital for the health
of surrounding waters. They host microscopic organisms on which larger creatures feed and provide shelter for fish, lobsters, octopus, eels, turtles and other marine life.
Most of the coral reefs are found between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Persian Gulf and around island nations in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific. Reefs are also found off Florida, Bermuda,
southern Japan and Australia.
In recent years, healthy coral reefs are becoming harder to find. Even in the Philippines, where only 400 species remain of the 500 known. The country has 34,000 square kilometers of coral reefs. A report from the Environmental Management
Bureau (EMB) of the environment department said Palawan has the highest concentration of reefs in the Philippines with 37.85 percent. It closely trailed by Sulu (27.81 percent), Visayas (21.70 percent), Northern Luzon (7.63 percent), Central
and Southern Mindanao (3.2 percent), and the Turtle Islands (1.74 percent).
The area between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia has been been stable longer than any other ocean region on Earth giving marine organisms a chance to develop in
more diverse forms than any other marine region.
If you happily embraced the concept of a "Safety Stop" then here is additional information you must be aware of. A must for older divers, deep divers, and divers doing
decompression diving. Any diver traveling to remote and exotic diving locations where you can't call a Coast Guard helicopter or Emergency Medical Services MUST READ THIS!
Diving on Nitrox is for depths from 16 to 45 meters. It is not a gas for deep dives. Within appropriate depth limits Nitrox will allow increased No Decompression Limits,
shorten Surface Intervals, or decrease your Decompression Requirement.
Not sure you want to dive on wrecks. After 55 years underwater the wrecks are coral reefs with their own resident fish populations. Compared to wrecks in British waters
these are intact, have no appreciable current, and have good visibility.
Experienced European instructors educate you by PADI standard. PADI PADI is the largest world-wide organisation in Dive education. This training gives you a certificate,
which is valid in the whole world.