A Glimpse of Tubbataha Reefs

Love to swim with a school of fishes? Or perhaps just sit in wonder deep into the sea while being surrounded by sea creatures? If you are one of those people who just love exploring the big sea and enjoy the camaraderie of fishes and other marine creatures, then you're in for a big treat.

The Philippines is an archipelago in the South East Asia which is in abundance of marine life. One of the most sought after and well managed site is the Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (TRNP) lies in the midst of the Sulu Sea and is under the jurisdiction of Cagayancillo. This marine park covers 33,200 hectares which includes the North and South reefs with each reef having a single small islet that protrudes from the water. The atolls are separated by a deep channel 8 kilometers wide.

The reefs of Tubbataha were formed as fringing reefs from the volcanic islands of the Cagayan Ridges thousands of years ago. Over time, as the volcanoes become extinct and the islands sunk deeper into the ocean, only the corals remain and continue to rise up into the sunlight.

Back in the 1970's only native Cagayanon fishermen utilize the marine resources as they go on fishing trips using wooden boats. But in the 1980's, fishermen from all over the Philippines started exploiting the marine harvest by using motorized boats and using fishing strategies that are destructive to the natural habitat. During the regime of President Corazon Aquino in 1988, and through the efforts of concerned environmentalists and Scuba divers, the Tubbatah Reef was declared as a National Marine Park. In 1993, it was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

After more than twenty years of preservation efforts the Tubbatah Reefs is now sanctuary to 483 species of fish, 396 species of corals, 44 species of birds, 9 species of dolphins and whales and Nesting Hawksbill and Green sea turtles. It is also a source of coral and fish larvae that seeds the Sulu Sea.

In the midst of ongoing conservation management and regular ecosystem research and monitoring conducted in the Tubbatah Reefs, this wondrous marine sanctuary is still a popular tourist hotspot especially among scuba divers from all over the world.

Besides income generation needed to fund the day to day maintenance of the park, tourism also plays a big role in spreading awareness and support for the reefs' conservation. The Tubbataha Reefs is open to divers from around the world to see and explore the natural beauty of this precious sanctuary. Dive season runs from March until June, which is the perfect season to explore the deep sea because of the clear sky and excellent visibility.

QUICK GLIMPSE

The Tubbataha Reefs is divided into the North and South Reefs. The North Reed is "Bird Islet", a home to various species of birds and nestling grounds for sea turtles. Sandy slopes with coral heads reaching up to 15 meters characterize the north face of the reef while the east face is between 14 and 20 meters and drops as a wall with caves and crevices deep enough for a sports divers' delight. Marine life are plentiful, with guitar sharks, leopard sharks, whitetip and blacktip sharks, grayreef sharks, nurse sharks, manta rays, eagle rays and turtles among others. Large fish like dog tooth tuna, surgeons, unicorns and snappers patrol the walls of the reef.

Night dives are popular, although not to photographers, as it is the perfect time to watch fishes as they feed. Most often than not, the sea is calm with some swell, but care should be taken to consideration as the current can become strong and possibly change without prior warning.

The "Lighthouse" is more commonly known as South Islet, named as such because its got a solar-powered lighthouse. Aside from sea creatures inhabiting this part of the reef, the wreck of the old log-carrier, Delsan is also found in this area. Evidence of blast-fishing is evident on the reef-top of this side of the reef, but there is no sign of damage on the walls. Pelagic species are dominant on this area with the likes of mackerel, barracudas, Emperor and Six-banded angelfish, groupers and Green and Hawksbill turtles. This side of the reef is more ideal for night dives. The south/southeast/southwest end has a far larger area of shallow reef-top than the north/northwest side. Area is rich with smaller fishes, leathery corals, whip corals,anemones, chromis and anthias. The shallow part of the lighthouse has sea grass that attracts turtles. Recently, perhaps due to endless efforts of maintenance and conservation, the area has shown a spectacular growth of corals.

HOW TO GET THERE

From Manila, Tubbataha Reefs Marine Park visitors have to take a one hour flight to Puerto Princesa City in Palawan. From the airport, guests are transported to the wharf for a 5 minutes' drive where they have to take a boat. Most vessels start to sail off after dinner and get to Tubbataha around 6 in the morning. Slower vessels, on the other hand, leave the wharf earlier to reach the Park at the first crack of dawn.

THE NEW 7 WONDERS OF NATURE

On July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal the New7Wonders Foundation started on the New7Wonders campaign whose main goal is to conserve and preserve natural monuments with the motto "Our Heritage is Our Future."

Nominees were submitted from all over the world and voting has been opened as soon as the list of nominees was completed. Among the many nominees is the Tubbataha Reefs in Palawan.

Around the world, there are not too many marine sanctuaries that are vehemently protected and conserved for the future generations to see. The Tubbataha Reefs is among them. If you think the Tubbataha Reefs deserve a place in the prestigious list of New 7 Wonders of Nature then show your support and vote for it. As of writing, Tubbataha Reefs occupy the 7^th spot (but the ranking changes considerably through time). Show your support if you believe that such natural beauty should be preserved and recognized worldwide.

Interested in making your vote count?

http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/vote_on_nominees/

Sources:

http://www.tubbatahareef.org/main/tourism

http://www.tubbataha.com/tubbataha/default.asp