PHILIPPINES TUBBATAHA WITH INSIDER DIVERS
May 20th to 26th 2023
aboard Solitude One
A UNESCO World Heritage Site and now an ASEAN Heritage Park, Tubbataha is a 130,028‐hectare protected marine area situated in the middle of the Sulu Sea in the Palawan region of the Philippines.Protected for over 20 years this is the last big refuge for sharks in the Philippines.
Itinerary overview
Below you’ll find the tentative itinerary, which is subject to change. We will post any changes as soon as we receive them.
Tubbataha Reefs: A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Prepare yourself for magnificent sea fans, soft corals, barrel sponges and all the life that goes along with them … Denise pygmy seahorses, scorpion fish, ghost pipefish, leaf scorpion fish, fire dart fish …. plus in the shallows, pretty reef fish such as rainbow runners, African pompano, bumphead parrotfish, regal angel fish and titan triggerfish. And brace yourself for the shark life … nurse sharks, black tip and white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks … as well as guitar sharks, hammerheads, passing whale sharks & mantas Of course, that means that there are blue-water dives, too …. and the pelagics found in the deep. You’ll have plenty of dogtooth tuna, mackerel, giant trevally, red snapper, napoleon wrasse and giant groupers.
During this trip we will be diving off our amazing dive vessel Solitude 1. You can expect between 3 and 4 dives a day. We will be doing reef dives, drift dives, shark dives in the blue and for those who are keen we can go a bit deeper to look for hammerheads (if you are qualified). As this is an offshore trip you should be comfortable as a diver and have at least 30 dives in your experience as well as AOW license. If you have not dived for a while make sure to get a refresher before the trip, although we can provide this as well. Nitrox is recommended on this trip.
Land Visit
One afternoon we will visit the range station on the North Atoll. This allows us to stretch our legs and take scenic photos on the white sand island. You will have the opportunity to see the ranger station and ask the rangers about their work. If you like we can have a friendly game of volleyball in the late afternoon or just sit and sip a drink while admiring the powerful sunsets of the high seas.
Presentations
During your week with us Simon Lorenz will provide free talks on underwater photography, sharks and manta rays. If you are rusty in your dive skills he can help as well. For those interested in underwater photography free coaching will be provided, even underwater.
A tour guide by nature, he aims to develop dive itineraries with a twist by adding unusual dives to our trips, and adding interesting meetings with local experts or presentations by famous photographers. Aside from taking care of everything on the trip he will help you with your diving and photography development. As PADI instructor he is able to add training elements to the trip if needed or expand your diving or photography capabilities. An active photographer and writer his articles have appeared in magazines such as Action Asia, ActionDiver, ScubaDiver AustralAsia, SportDiver USA, EZDive, Plongeurs, DIVE UK, Dive Pacific, Divelog, and several more. In 2017 cover shots have been selected for Action Asia and Action Diver.
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Solitude One – your home away from home
Solitude One, a 52-meter (171-foot) steel-hulled merchant vessel, was transformed into a stunning diving yacht. In the redesign process, the digital darkroom was given as much consideration in the overall design of the vessel. Occupying premium space on the ‘A’ deck and placed adjacent to the lounge, the space is designed for safely stowing camera and video equipment, for prepping, charging batteries and working on photos. Computer terminals are available if you want to leave your laptop at home and a library of carefully selected periodicals and books will give you all the intellectual stimulation you need. She has a comfy lounge and covered & uncovered sundecks – plus the deck is also great for watching out for dancing dolphins and breaching mantas or hanging out in the evenings to look at constellations in the night sky.
Trip details, rates & itinerary
{slider Getting there: Travel to Manila, then Puerto Princesa in the Philippines. There is a 60-minute domestic flight from Manila to Puerto Princesa and a 15 minute air conditioned van ride from the airport to the pier …|dest|closed}
May 20th 2023:
Arrival in Puerto Princesa before 14:00 (if you are traveling from afar we recommend arriving on 19th May) Airport or hotel pick latest 17:00
May 21 – 25th 2023:
Dive cruise Tubbataha with 3-4 dives per day and 1 land visit to the ranger station
May 26th 2023:
Return to Puerto Princesa. Departue flight after 08:00. Latest disembarktation 11:00
Rate: $ 3,510 per person in a double shared deluxe cabin
(Master Stateroom $ 3,810 , Quad cabins $ 3,240 per person)
Included in the rate:
- all diving including weights, tanks, guide
- full board
- presenations by tour leader from Insider Divers (Simon Lorenz)
- airport transfer or hotel pick-up
Extras:
- airfare
- insurance
- alcoholic drinks on board
- Marine Park Fees est. $ 100 per person
- scuba rental equipment (let us know in advance)
- nitrox (EAN 30%) $ 135
- fuel surcharge (to be announced) {/sliders}