Aggressor Adventures Launches Dedicated Tubbataha Reef Expedition Aboard Philippines Aggressor
Aggressor Adventures has announced a new dedicated expedition to Tubbataha Reef, the remote UNESCO World Heritage dive site in the Sulu Sea, aboard the liveaboard Philippines Aggressor.
Aggressor Adventures has announced a new dedicated expedition to Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park aboard the Philippines Aggressor liveaboard vessel. Tubbataha is widely regarded as one of the most pristine diving destinations in the world — an atoll system in the middle of the Sulu Sea that is accessible only by liveaboard for a narrow window each year.
Why Tubbataha Is Exceptional
Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located roughly 150 kilometers southeast of Puerto Princesa, Palawan. The park consists of two atolls — North Atoll and South Atoll — separated by an 8-kilometer channel, plus the Jessie Beazley Reef, a submerged coral head to the north. Together they cover approximately 97,000 hectares of open ocean, reef, and lagoonal habitat.
Because it sits in a remote location with no permanent human habitation and is closed to visitors from September through March due to rough seas, the marine environment at Tubbataha has remained in an exceptionally natural state. Shark populations are among the healthiest in the Philippines, with whitetip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, hammerheads, and the occasional tiger or whale shark all reported. Manta rays are a regular presence, as are hawksbill and green sea turtles, Napoleon wrasse, dogtooth tuna, and dense schools of jacks and barracuda.
The Expedition
The Philippines Aggressor accommodates a small number of divers — typically 16 to 18 per departure — ensuring low site-impact diving with intimate group sizes. The expedition departs from Puerto Princesa after guests fly in via Manila, and the vessel makes a 24-hour crossing to reach the atolls. Multi-day itineraries allow divers to cover all three main reef systems, with five or more dives per day during peak conditions.
The season for Tubbataha runs from approximately mid-March through mid-June, making April and May the heart of the diving window. Visibility regularly exceeds 30 meters in optimal conditions, and water temperatures hover around 28–29°C.
Reservations for the Aggressor Tubbataha expeditions are available through the Aggressor Adventures website, with limited space per departure.