Liveaboard to Tubbataha Reef, Philippines

Diving Tubbathaha, a remote reef in the middle of the Zulu sea and the crown jewel of Philippine diving.

On the short flight from Cebu to Puerto Princesa, I sat across the aisle from Larissa. We hadn’t paid extra to sit together, so the woman next to her had a clear view of me. At one point, I caught Larissa looking over and gave her the diver’s “OK” sign. She smiled. We were both excited — unaware of how much adventure, and delay, lay ahead.

From Malapascua to the Tubbataha Reef

Before heading to Palawan, we’d been diving with thresher sharks in Malapascua, joined by our friend Claudia. I’d started this trip barely knowing how to dive, so booking a week-long liveaboard was a bold move. But I wanted the full experience — eat, sleep, dive, repeat. Somehow, I knew it would work out.

The Delays Continue

At Puerto Princesa airport, we met Axel, the captain’s wife, who broke the news: the Seadoors liveaboard was delayed. I was devastated. Instead of boarding, we were brought to a comfortable resort, where we met the rest of the group — two Spanish guys, two French couples, two American pairs, and, somehow, three Thomases. The resort had everything — pool, bar, bathtub — but all we wanted was to be at sea.

Late at night, we were told we could board to leave at dawn. Except we didn’t.
The next morning, we woke still in port, waiting for a coast guard inspection. It turned out this was the crew’s first trip of the season, and they hadn’t finished the paperwork. Twelve more hours passed before the engines finally started. Later, we learned the truth: an engine failure had delayed the ship, and the owner had flown to Singapore himself to bring back replacement parts — just to make the trip possible.

Check Dives at “Planet Mars”

Because of the delay, we couldn’t reach Tubbataha that day — the reef lies roughly nine hours offshore. So instead, we stopped at a nearby site to do our check dives.
Calling it a “dive site” would be generous. It was a wasteland of silt and broken coral, more like planet Mars than a tropical reef. Visibility was poor, and marine life scarce. Still, it was a good chance to get comfortable underwater again.

I was paired with Cesar, another diver under 30 logged dives, and guided by Anthony, a French dive master and instructor. Despite the uninspiring location, Anthony made it fun. He was knowledgeable, funny, and calm — the kind of person you want leading your group. After the second dive, he let me take my camera, realizing I could handle both buoyancy and photography just fine. At one point, I even fixed Cesar’s loose BCD mid-water — a small gesture that Anthony said he’d never seen from someone so new.

Anthony, my master dive instructor, photographer and overall good bloke.

Into the Blue at Tubbataha

Once we finally made it, the reef swept away every ounce of frustration. Walls of coral, swirling barracuda, turtles gliding past like they owned the place — it was pure magic. From then on, it was all about eat, sleep, dive, repeat.

Diving at the Tubbataha Reef on a Liveaboard

Except there were some issues with gear: my LPI gauge failed and continuously inflated my BCD, another participants regulator had a small free-flow for several dives starting at 100 bar and the size of some material such as wetsuits and fins, which we wrote down twice on the Padi travel website AND in the Excel sheet by E-Mail were not available.

Saltwater is relentless. My newly purchased diving light, bought a couple of weeks earlier in Bali right after completing my Open Water Course in Nusa Lembongan, didn’t survive the Tubbataha adventure.

My Supe V4K V2 dive light leaked unfortunately.

Otherwise, the dives were very enjoyable and the natural beauty of Tubbataha is awe inspiring and wonderful.

Night Dives and a Shark Surprise

My first night dive felt like falling into space. The beam of my torch cut through black water, revealing creatures that looked straight out of science fiction. On the second night dive, an agitated reef shark came a bit too close for comfort — my heart raced, but it made the dive even more memorable.

The underwater world was breathtaking: marbled rays gliding over sand, reef sharks circling below, and countless colorful nudibranchs painting the reef. But the absolute highlight was when a whale shark appeared — passing our group several times, each time closer, until it was almost within arm’s reach. Absolutely insane.

Larissa and I on the Seadoors Liveaboard to Tubbataha

Full Circle at Tubbataha Reef

After the liveaboard, Larissa, Claudia, and I met Lucie and Germaine again for dinner in El Nido. Over drinks, Lucie told us that on the plane to Puerto Princesa, she’d noticed me giving Larissa the “OK” sign and thought, They must be divers. She was right — and by the end of this trip, we’d all shared some of the most unforgettable dives of our lives.

Tubbataha had tested our patience, but it rewarded us a hundred times over.