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: Shark Airport, Washing Machine, Seafan Alley, Ranger Station, Amos Rock, Black Rock, North Wall, Light House, Delsan Wreck, Staghorn Point

Day 1
Your unforgettable scuba diving adventure begins in Puerto Princesa, Philippines, as you board the MY Stella Maris Explorer liveaboard. Upon arrival, the cruise director will greet you, assign your cabin, conduct a crucial boat safety briefing, introduce the crew, and outline the week's itinerary. You will have ample time to complete dive paperwork, familiarise yourself with the vessel, and settle in before the trip begins.

Core Days
This trip is dedicated to extensive diving in the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and jewel of the Coral Triangle, renowned for its spectacular biodiversity, boasting over 370 types of coral, 600 species of fish, and 12 species of cetaceans. This remote destination offers thrilling encounters with large pelagics, including blacktip, whitetip, grey reef, silky, and occasional hammerhead or whale sharks, alongside dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, barracuda, turtles, and manta rays; while the walls are adorned with beautiful soft corals and barrel sponges, the big marine life takes center stage.
Ranger Station is located near the marine park's outpost, this site boasts wonderfully vibrant coral gardens in the shallower areas, transitioning into a healthy wall. It's one of the most reliable locations for encounters with both green and hawksbill turtles, which frequently graze and rest here, offering guaranteed photographic opportunities.
Amos Rock is a truly magnificent and dramatic dive featuring a vertical wall riddled with overhangs, small caves, and crevices. The site is a prime location for spotting larger marine life, with frequent sightings of graceful manta rays feeding in the current, along with patrolling reef and oceanic sharks. The wall itself is richly decorated with soft corals and sponges.
Black Rock is an isolated, exposed pinnacle rising from the deep, making it a magnet for pelagic action. Divers here often navigate moderate to strong currents but are rewarded with encounters with large schools of jacks, barracuda, and tuna, as well as various shark species utilizing the rock as a navigational point.
The shallows of the Staghorn Point are dominated by extensive, healthy fields of staghorn corals, creating a massive, branching underwater landscape. This beautiful, complex habitat is a perfect nursery for juvenile fish and a great place to observe the intricacies of reef ecology in a bright, shallow environment.

Day 7
On your final day, after breakfast, you will disembark the MY Stella Maris Explorer liveaboard and be transferred directly back to the Puerto Princesa airport or a local hotel.

Tubbataha & Apo Reef (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 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: Apo Reef, Santa Filomena Shoal, Cuyo Island, Tubbataha: Bird Island, Ranger Station, South Rock, Black Rock, Lighthouse Islet

Day 1
This exciting transit trip commences in Puerto Princesa, aboard the MY Stella Maris Explorer liveaboard. After boarding, the cruise director will welcome you, assign your cabin, lead a mandatory safety briefing and crew introduction, and detail the upcoming week's itinerary. You'll have time to finalize necessary dive paperwork, get familiar with the vessel, and settle in before the trip departs for the prime destination diving sites.

Core Days
The bulk of the liveaboard tour is dedicated to exploring the rich marine ecosystems of the Tubbataha and Apo Reef, forming a spectacular dive route across the Sulu Sea. Apo Reef Natural Park is renowned for its incredible visibility and healthy coral populations. Divers frequently encounter patrolling whitetip and blacktip reef sharks, schools of colorful reef fish, and charismatic creatures like hawksbill turtles and large bumphead parrotfish. Occasional sightings of manta rays are possible here as they feed in the currents.
Santa Filomena Shoal is an isolated seamount and prime aggregation point for pelagic species. The shoal features impressive coral formations and steep walls, making it an excellent spot to drift dive with opportunities to see large schools of jacks and tuna, as well as various shark species utilizing the cleaning stations.
Diving around the waters of Cuyo Island offers a distinct experience, often featuring shallower reefs with diverse macro life and sheltered, vibrant coral gardens. It serves as a great transitional diving area with excellent opportunities for photography.
The Stella Maris Explorer also visits Tubbataha. The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a jewel of the Coral Triangle. Its isolated atolls are famous for large pelagic action, including frequent encounters with blacktip, whitetip, and grey reef sharks, alongside dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, barracuda, turtles, and manta rays.

Day 7
On your final day, you will disembark the Stella Maris Explorer following breakfast. You will then be transferred to the Puerto Princesa airport or a local hotel.
Please note that the liveaboard itinerary's operational direction may be reversed.