Explore Tubbataha
Experience the best diving destination in the Philippines with Philippines Explorer ONE.
The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is widely regarded as one of the finest diving destinations in the world. Accessible only for a short window each year, this remote UNESCO World Heritage Site offers exceptional visibility, healthy coral systems, and consistent encounters with large pelagic life.
Aboard Philippine Explorer One, we offer three carefully designed Tubbataha itineraries, each shaped around sea conditions, travel distances, and the kind of experience our guests value most. Rather than offering a single “one size fits all” trip, these itineraries allow guests to choose the balance of exploration, immersion, and journey that suits them best. Choose from 7-nights focusing purely on Tubbataha, or our longer 10-night or 13-night trips, or enquire to charter the whole boat and help us create your own unique trip itinerary. Anything is possible.
Maximum 4 dives per day, often 3 dives only, leaving more time to explore, enjoy the scenery, and relax.
This unique itinerary happens just twice per year on board Philippines Explorer One, to combine the remote reefs of Tubbataha with the diving highlights of the Visayas. Designed as a true expedition-style voyage, this option offers variety both above and below the surface, with long passages broken up by rewarding dives and quiet anchorages.
3 itineraries to explore Tubbataha
1. TUBBATAHA & THE VISAYAS - 14 days, 13 nights
Day 1: Maya Port, Cebu - embarkation
Day 2: Kimud Shoal
Day 3: Pescador Island & Moalboal
Day 4: Apo Island
Day 5: Cagayancillo Islands
Day 6: Tubbataha North Atoll
Day 7: Jessie Beazley Reef
Day 8: Tubbataha North Atoll | Malayan Wreck Area
Day 9: Tubbataha South Atoll | Deslan Wreck & Southwest Wall
Day 10: Tubbataha South Atoll | Black Rock area
Day 11: Tubbataha North Atoll | Shark Airport area
Day 12: Cavili & Arena Islands
Day 13: Calusa Island & Cagayancillo
Day 14: Disembarkation Campomanes Bay
This itinerary pairs Tubbataha with the lesser-visited reefs around Cagayancillo, adding an extra layer of exploration while maintaining a strong focus on remote, uncrowded diving. We do not start and end our trips in Puerto Princesa. Instead our itineraries start and end this 10-night journey in Campomanes Bay, making travel arrangements easy and allowing the opportunity to explore more dive sites on the way to/from Tubbataha Reefs.
2. TUBBATAHA & CAGAYANCILLO - 11 days, 10 nights
Day 1: Campomanes Bay - embarkation
Day 2: Cagayan Islands
Day 3: Tubbataha Reefs UNESCO Natural Park | North Atoll
Day 4: Jessie Beazley Reef
Day 5: Tubbataha North Atoll | Malayan Wreck area
Day 6: Tubbataha South Atoll | Delsan Wreck & Southwest Wall
Day 7: Tubbataha South Atoll | Black Rock
Day 8: Tubbataha North Atoll | Shark Airport
Day 9: Cavili & Arena Islands
Day 10: Calusa Island & Cagayancillo
Day 11: Disembark at Campomanes Bay
A concentrated itinerary dedicated entirely to Tubbataha itself. Ideal for guests who want to maximise time within the park, this option minimises transit and focuses on repeat dives at some of the world’s most pristine reef systems. Starting and ending in Campomanes Bay.
3. TUBBATAHA - 8 days, 7 nights
Day 1: Campomanes Bay - embarkation
Day 2: Cagayancillo & Calusa Islands
Day 3: Tubbataha Reefs UNESCO Natural Park | North Atoll
Day 4: Jessie Beazley Reef & North Atoll
Day 5: Tubbataha South/North Atoll
Days 6: Tubbataha South Atoll | Black Rock
Day 7: Arena & Cavili Islands
Day 8: Campomanes Bay - disembarkation
Experience on board Philippines Explorer One
Philippine Explorer One has been developed as a new generation of diving liveaboard boat for the Philippines. She is the perfect diving liveboard for the sea conditions of Tubbataha; built originally for the North Sea, now fitted with gyro-stabilisers, you can experience the ultimate comfort at sea. As the Tubbataha season has been lengthened there are not many suitable diving liveaboards that can do the WHOLE Tubbataha season, but Philippines Explorer One can.
Diving schedules are designed to balance exceptional underwater encounters with adequate rest, surface intervals, and time to enjoy life on board. Night navigation is kept to a minimum wherever possible, and days are shaped by conditions rather than rigid timetables.
On selected departures, we are joined by a renowned underwater photographer, Gerald Rambert, offering guests the opportunity to refine their skills, improve their approach to composition and lighting, and gain insight into photographing large marine life in challenging environments. These trips are suitable for photographers at different stages of their journey and are conducted in a relaxed, supportive manner. Contact us for more information about these unique trips.
Diving & Adventure Cruises with Philippines Explorer.
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