The M/Y Palau Sport is a liveaboard designed by divers, for scuba diving. From its inception, this 38-meter steel-hulled yacht was purpose-built to be a stable, functional base for exploring the Philippines' premier underwater sites. It operates on a seasonal schedule, positioning itself at the country's marine highlights: the remote, pelagic-rich waters of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, the expansive coral gardens of Apo Reef, and the historical wreck fields of Coron Bay. This vessel exists to deliver efficient, comfortable and safe access to these world-class destinations.
The philosophy of the Palau Sport liveaboard is one of practical diver-focused design. This is most evident in its unique dive operation, which centers on 2 custom-built, 32-foot chase boats. These dedicated tenders are engineered for functionality, featuring a central aisle with individual dive cradles that streamline gearing up and protect equipment. With a capacity for 15 divers each and easy side-step access, they act as mobile dive platforms, maximizing time at the sites and minimizing congestion. Back on the mothership, the expansive main dive deck is equally professional, offering 24 personal stations, ample gear storage, and dedicated camera facilities.
Accommodation for 24 guests prioritizes rest and reliability. Cabins are configured as twin-bunk or queen-bed suites, all with private bathrooms. In a thoughtful safety measure that also encourages social interaction, guests are asked to use a monitored, communal charging station on the upper deck for their electronics, which is equipped with universal power sockets. This system ensures safety while providing a convenient hub for preparing cameras and devices.
Life aboard balances hearty sustenance with relaxed social spaces. Meals are a focal point, with a culinary team preparing varied buffet spreads that showcase Filipino flavors alongside Continental and Asian dishes. These are served in the air-conditioned saloon or, weather permitting, al fresco on the canopied top deck. The adjacent bar area becomes a natural gathering spot in the evenings, a place to review the day's dives with fellow guests over a drink.
The operation benefits from a crew with strong regional knowledge and a vessel built for these specific waters. The twin-engine Palau Sport liveaboard provides stable transit across the open stretches of the Sulu Sea to reach Tubbataha, while its robust construction handles the varied conditions around Apo Reef and the sheltered bays of Coron. The crew’s experience is integral to planning dives that account for local currents and seasonal marine life behavior.
Ultimately, the Palau Sport liveaboard represents a choice for divers who value a serious, no-fuss diving operation over boutique luxury. Its design eliminates common liveaboard frustrations through dedicated chase boats and a sprawling dive deck. It is an ideal choice for groups, underwater photographers needing reliable camera space, and divers whose primary focus is maximizing high-quality time beneath the surface across the Philippines' most celebrated marine environments.
Palau Sport has 13 guest cabins, all located on the upper deck of the liveaboard. There are 4 queen-size double bed suites with customized built-in work stations and a picturesque view; and 9 twin bunk bed cabins built-in reading night lights a convenient and easy stair access to the top bunk. All accommodation have en-suite bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Windows
- Private bathroom with toilet, hand basin, and shower
- Towels and toiletries
- Reading lights
- Cabinet, mirror
- Daily housekeeping
- Bedding
- Smoke detector, life jackets and fire extinguisher
- 220V electricity supply with round 2-pin sockets - available 24-hrs per day
- Storage for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - hot water
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (7 Days / 6 Nights - 18 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Tubbataha - North Atoll: Malayan Wreck, Shark Airport, Washine Machine, Sea Fan Alley, Terraces; South Atoll: Ko Ok, Delsan Wreck, Lighthouse, Triggerfish City, Black Rock; Jessie Beazley Reef
Day 1
Board the Palau Sport liveaboard in the afternoon and settle into your cabin. The crew will conduct a detailed safety and boat briefing, followed by an overview of the diving itinerary. In the late afternoon, the vessel will set sail across the Sulu Sea toward the world-famous Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Dinner will be served on board as you begin your cruise to one of the planet’s most remarkable marine sanctuaries.
Core Days
Prepare for an exceptional liveaboard diving experience in Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature. Situated in the heart of the Sulu Sea, this remote marine sanctuary encompasses the North Atoll, South Atoll, and Jessie Beazley Reef, each offering some of the most pristine and biodiverse coral ecosystems on Earth.
You’ll enjoy up to 4 dives per day, exploring a variety of underwater landscapes including steep vertical walls, coral plateaus, and deep blue drop-offs. The reefs are covered in colorful hard and soft corals, massive barrel sponges, and sea fans that provide shelter to an incredible range of marine species. Divers can expect to encounter grey reef, whitetip, and blacktip sharks, along with turtles, Napoleon wrasse, giant trevally, tuna, and barracuda. Encounters with manta rays, eagle rays, and whale sharks are also common in these nutrient-rich waters.
Macro enthusiasts will find endless subjects for photography, from nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, and ghost pipefish to ornate shrimps hiding among the coral branches. Large schools of snappers, fusiliers, and surgeonfish sweep over the reef, while bumphead parrotfish graze the coral slopes in the early mornings. The vibrant reef walls of Amos Rock are draped in soft corals and sea fans, often patrolled by reef sharks and jacks. The Malayan Wreck offers an atmospheric dive among batfish and sweetlips, while Black Rock is known for schooling barracuda and occasional sightings of hammerheads or tiger sharks. Meanwhile, Jessie Beazley Reef, located to the north, features crystal-clear visibility, healthy coral gardens, and thrilling drift dives.
Night dives add another dimension, revealing lobsters, crabs, sleeping parrotfish, and bioluminescent plankton under a blanket of stars. Above the water, small sandy islets serve as nesting grounds for seabirds such as boobies and terns, completing the park’s image as one of the last untouched marine wildernesses in the world.
On the penultimate day, you’ll complete 2 or 3 final dives before Palau Sport begins its return voyage to Puerto Princesa. Spend your last evening at sea sharing stories and reflecting on an unforgettable week of world-class diving in one of the planet’s most extraordinary marine reserves.
Final Day
Enjoy your final breakfast on board, sharing memories and photos with your fellow divers. Afterwards, it’s time to disembark Palau Sport, marking the end of your unforgettable Tubbataha liveaboard adventure.
Tubbataha & Apo Reef (9 Days / 8 Nights - 27 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Tubbataha - North Atoll: Malayan Wreck, Shark Airport, Washine Machine, Sea Fan Alley, Terraces; South Atoll: Ko Ok, Delsan Wreck, Lighthouse, Triggerfish City, Black Rock; Jessie Beazley Reef; Cuyo Island, Apo Reef, Anilao
Day 1
Board the Palau Sport liveaboard in the afternoon and settle into your cabin. The crew will conduct a full safety and boat briefing, followed by an overview of your diving itinerary for the days ahead. In the late afternoon, the vessel will depart across the Sulu Sea toward the world-renowned Tubbataha Reefs. Dinner will be served on board as you begin your journey to this extraordinary marine sanctuary.
Core Days
This Palau Sport itinerary combines 3 of the Philippines’ most iconic dive regions: Tubbataha, Apo Reef, and Anilao, offering a rare opportunity to experience the country’s full range of underwater diversity.
Nestled in the heart of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha is a remote oceanic atoll. Descending into its waters is like entering a living kaleidoscope of the deep, where the relentless sun penetrates the crystal clarity to ignite coral gardens of staggering scale and diversity. This is not a place of subtle muck diving or gentle slopes; Tubbataha is a realm of primal oceanic forces, where sheer walls plunge into the abyss and submerged pinnacles act as magnets for the open ocean's most majestic travellers. Schools of jacks and barracuda form shimmering, spinning walls that defy individual count, while squadrons of eagle rays glide effortlessly in the deep blue. Grey reef sharks patrol the cleaning stations at sites like Shark Airport in relentless numbers, and the distant silhouette of a hammerhead shark is a constant, thrilling possibility.
Continue your liveaboard adventure at Apo Reef, one of the Philippines’ largest and most spectacular reef systems. This area offers vibrant coral gardens, drop-offs, and drift dives teeming with marine life. You’ll spot batfish, trevallies, snappers, fusiliers, and frequent visits from dolphins, manta rays, and reef sharks, including blacktip, whitetip, grey reef, and thresher sharks. Macro enthusiasts will also enjoy sightings of shrimps, sea slugs, and tunicates among the coral formations.
The transition trip concludes in Anilao, the birthplace of scuba diving in the Philippines and one of the world’s top muck diving destinations. Known as the 'Nudibranch Capital of the World', it offers exceptional macro diving opportunities. Highlights include rhinopias, blue-ringed and mimic octopus, pygmy seahorses, bobbit worms, frogfish, and lacy scorpionfish, a paradise for underwater photographers and critter lovers.
On the penultimate day, complete 2–3 final dives before Palau Sport sails toward Batangas, arriving in the evening for your last night on board.
Day 9
Enjoy a final breakfast with your fellow divers before disembarking from the Palau Sport. The crew will assist with transfers to Anilao or Batangas City, marking the end of your unforgettable Philippine liveaboard diving expedition.
Note: these liveaboard trips operate in both directions so check exact port details for your particular trip.
Coron & North Palawan
Trip highlights: manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Coron, Calauit, El Nido: Linapacan, Sibaltan
Day 1
Board the Palau Sport liveaboard in the picturesque Coron Bay. After settling into your cabin, you'll receive a comprehensive boat and safety briefing, followed by a discussion of the exciting dive plans for the coming week. You'll set sail in the early afternoon, with dinner served as we make our way to our first iconic site: the otherworldly Barracuda Lake.
Core Days
This expedition is designed to showcase the incredible diversity of Northern Palawan and Coron's legendary wrecks. Dive into history in the best wreck diving location in Southeast Asia. Explore the massive, beginner-friendly Olympia Maru and the unique Akitsushima, a Japanese seaplane tender. These colossal relics, now adorned with soft corals and home to vast schools of fish, offer an unforgettable experience. Don't miss Barracuda Lake, also in Coron, a geothermal lake within a volcanic crater where fresh and saltwater meet, creating a bizarre thermocline and stunning rock formations. You'll also dive sites like Siete Pecados, known for its lush coral gardens and abundant marine life.
Then journey to Linapacan, an area reputed to have the clearest waters in the world. This remote archipelago is a paradise for underwater photographers, featuring stunning coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, and a small wreck to discover. It's raw, untouched diving at its finest. You'll also discover the thriving Sibaltan reefs and exciting pelagic action of this little-explored region. Sibaltan is home to manta ray cleaning stations and fantastic healthy reefs that are full of life, offering thrilling dives for all levels.
The cruise includes a unique eco-tourism highlight with a trip to the seagrass meadows of Calauit, North Busuanga. Here, you have the rare chance to snorkel and observe the gentle, endangered dugong (sea cow) in its natural habitat - a magical and respectful wildlife encounter.
On the penultimate day, you'll enjoy 2-3 final dives before the Palau Sport begins its return journey to Coron, arriving in the evening for a final night on board.
Final Day
Enjoy one last breakfast on board, sharing stories and photos with new friends. The crew will then transfer you to Busuanga Airport or to your Coron hotel, marking the end of your incredible week-long liveaboard adventure
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
Meals on board Palau Sport liveaboard are usually served in the fully air-conditioned dining hall. On special occasions and when weather permits, meals may also be enjoyed al fresco on the top deck, overlooking the sunset and the open ocean.
Pre-breakfast (6-7 am):
*A light meal served before the first dive, includes coffee or hot chocolate.
Main breakfast (8:30-10 am):
*Daily-changing buffet selection. Examples include eggs, rice, cereal, ham or sausages, local pork, vegetables, breads, pancakes, or French toast.
Lunch (12-2 pm):
* Buffet-style meal with changing menu based on fresh availability. Options may include rice, vegetables, pasta, chicken, pork, beef, or seafood. Soup, salad, and dessert served daily.
Snacks (3-4 pm):
*Light snack served in the afterno. Complimentary coffee and hot chocolate available.
Dinner (7-9 pm):
* Buffet dinner with rice, vegetables, or pasta. A selection of chicken, pork, beef, or seafood dishes. Soup, salad, and dessert included.
Beverages:
* Complimentary drinking water, coffee, and hot chocolate.
A full bar is available in the dining hall serving sodas, beer, liquor, and other beverages (purchased separately).
Special highlights:
*For Tubbataha liveaboard trips, Palau Sport guests may visit the Ranger Station, depending on tide conditions.
* For Southern El Nido trips, a beach party may be arranged on the 3rd or 4th day, subject to weather and schedule.
Special dietary restrictions are accommodated where possible, but please note that limited ingredient availability in Puerto Princesa may affect menu options.
