Palawan’s very own Tubbataha Reefs National Park in Cagayancillo, a world heritage site, is listed in the latest Lonely Planet as among the six national parks around the world with surprisingly spectacular diving sites along with Moalboal Island in Cebu.
Lonely Planet, an international travel guide book that has headquarters in Australia, acknowledged Tubbataha as incredible biodiversity that made it unique and declared as a UNESCO world heritage status. It is home to almost 600 species of fish, 360 coral species, 11 species of sharks and 13 species of dolphins and whales, manta rays, barracuda, nudibranchs, pipefish and seahorses.
According to the article posted last August 26 at the Lonely Planet site, the Amos Rock, Washing Machine and Black Rock in Tubbataha can provide spectacular diving experience.
“At the thousands of dive sites scattered throughout the Philippines, you’ll be enchanted by the more than 1,200 macro and pelagic species that live in these waters. The incredible biodiversity of Tubbataha Reefs National Park in Palawan earned it Unesco World Heritage Site status,” American Travel writer Angela Ballard wrote on her article.
The other sites listed by Ballard are located in Aruba, Tanzania, Kenya, Greece and Iceland. Tubbataha can be reached usually from a boat in Puerto Princesa. Dive visits are only allowed from March to mid-June of the year. This year, the park is closed for tours and dive visits due to pandemic.