Cagayancillo, Sulu Sea Islands
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
Tubbataha lies far out in the middle of the Sulu Sea, administratively part of Cagayancillo town though more than 150 kilometres from it by water. The park protects two atolls, Jessie Beazley Reef, and the surrounding deep sea, almost 97,000 hectares in total.
Its reefs hold more than 360 coral species, close to 90 percent of all coral species recorded in the Philippines, along with large numbers of reef sharks, manta rays and sea turtles.
UNESCO inscribed the park as a World Heritage Site in 1993. Because it is open sea with no permanent land facilities beyond a ranger station, it can only be visited by liveaboard dive boat, and only during the short season when the Sulu Sea is calm enough to cross.
Sources (3)
- Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993; area about 97,030 hectares; located in the municipality of Cagayancillo, Palawan, in the middle of the Sulu Sea; includes Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley Reefs; coordinates about 8°57'N 119°52'ETubbataha Reefs Natural Park, UNESCO World Heritage List
- More than 360 coral species recorded, about 90% of all Philippine coral speciesTubbataha Reef
- Accessible only by liveaboard dive boat from Puerto Princesa, roughly a 10-hour crossing; the park is open to visitors only from mid-March to mid-JuneTubbataha Reefs Natural Park