In May of 2013 I made a trip to Tubbataha and it was fantastic. This was just after the US Navy ship that ran aground in the park had been dismantled and removed, so a couple of dive sites were closed but the rest of the marine park was amazing. We saw sharks on literally every dive, turtles regularly and a cheeky whaleshark coming around or a visit at the end of the week. The corals were in great condition and there were simply loads of fish everywhere you looked. Many of the dives were easy drift dives along a wall, just watching the scenery go by. I would return to the Tubbataha marine park for another trip without a second thought, especially if it included an option for some light technical diving as was arranged with the operator for my previous trip.
Regarding the Philippines in general, I've spent a cumulative four or five months there over the past three years and it is one of my favorite diving destinations. The only parts of the country that I've not been diving is the Eastern Pacific coast (Southern Luzon / outer Visayas) and around Mindanao. While I had planned on visiting Leyte on my most recent trip, typhoon Yolanda / Haiyan destroyed much of the infrastructure in the area. Instead I spent most of that trip based on Malapascua, making early morning dives with the sharks and helping to cleanup / rebuild the local village as much as I was able. As far as I know, while some operators have resumed service in the region, Leyte is still recovering and will be for some time. Mindanao is probably off the table for a group trip due to other reasons, chief among them being the ongoing political strife.
As for the rest of the country, there is no shortage of amazing destinations for diving. Anilao is a paradise destination for macro lovers and easily accessible from Manila. Coron has some two dozen shipwrecks at relatively accessible depths, requiring varying levels of training and experience to explore. Malapascua has one of the only known resident populations of Thresher sharks in the world and a good range of other interesting diving to be done as well. There are many other smaller land-based destinations that could be strung together to create a great dive safari, e.g. touring around the central Visayas. As for liveaboards, there are a number of good options, including some transitional trips that stop at the Apo reef on the way to / from Tubbataha at the beginning / end of the season.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance in planning a Philippines trip. I'd be happy to share my contacts / info / experiences or anything else that was needed.
Edited by Elias, 30 May 2014 - 03:15 PM.
