Atlantis Philippines
"Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park & Puerto Galera"
Dive Resort & Liveaboard Adventure Combo Trip
May 3-15, 2027
My friends…I am so excited to offer this spectacular dive trip to the adventurous divers of FCD! What can I say…this trip is ACTION PACKED! Before you read on…Google these two dive destinations: Puerto Galera and Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park (World Heritage Site by UNESCO). You will easily see why these places are known within the dive community as some of the most spectacular dive destinations on planet Earth. But don’t just take it from me, here are some quotes and passages of a few articles I pulled from Alert Diver Magazine
"What our guest say......."
“I could describe each dive site in detail, but it is more useful to share one dive at Delsan on South Atoll. We rolled off and flew across coral meadows as we passed school-bus-sized clouds of jacks. At the drop-off we noticed Tet and Marissa’s lights searching knowingly below us until the beam settled on five large marble rays floating gently above a forest of whip corals. I lingered with the rays as their team moved on. Sensing an incoming presence, I turned to my left to see a determined tiger shark approaching. I raised the camera, the strobes flashed, and the annoyed tiger vanished into blue nothingness.
“The deep show over, I rose along the slope and saw that I was on course to meet a whale shark. Out of time and air, I headed for a shallow stop, where I found David focusing on a scattered group of hawksbill turtles. All that activity was during just 90 minutes in Tubbataha.”
- Alert Diver Magazine March 2023
“Tubbataha is a seasonal destination, best accessed from March through June, when the Sulu Sea is calmer. It’s recognized as one of the Philippines’ marquee attractions for wide-angle vistas and pelagic sightings. Consider this email I recently received from Randy Wright, captain of the Atlantis Azores liveaboard, describing his week on charter:”
“Just back from Tubbataha and my best week of diving in years. Multiple whale shark encounters, mantas on several dives, heaps of sharks and jacks, etc. Dozens of turtles … felt like Sipadan! Eagle rays, and on our last dive of the week we got a whale shark and then a great hammerhead about 2 minutes later! Could not have planned it better. Best week of diving in the Philippines without a doubt! Of course, I had no camera coz I was leading all the dives … just a huge folder of mental snapshots.”
- Alert Diver Magazine August 2011
“It may only be accessible for three months out of the year, but a visit to Tubbataha puts you in the heart of the Sulu Sea on an oceanic reef that is influenced by all the life circulating through the Philippines coral reef ecosystem. This is a world of deep drop-offs, forests of sea fans and massive schools of batfish cast like silver coins across a backdrop of black velvet. You don’t dive so much as fly these reefs, hovering above them until you see a target of interest for intimate inspection. On a single dive you could see a whale shark, dogtooth tuna, marbled stingray and schools of jack so vast they resemble a silver river — and turtles, lots of turtles. It is not only that it is good by nature, it is good by man, for these reefs are very successfully protected and patrolled. Tubbataha is a unique place, recruiting life as it does and situated in the heart of the Coral Triangle.”
- David Doubilet / Alert Diver Q3 2018
"When you get off the boat on Sabang Beach, near Puerto Galera on Mindoro Island in the Philippines, a sign that reads “Welcome to Sabang, Your Gateway to the Center of the Center of Marine Biodiversity” greets you. That phase defines the diving in the region, as you will not find more fish species anywhere else on Earth.”
“You will see a lot of different species on a single dive, but there’s stunning diversity in the habitats as well. Every dive can be wildly different as you move from classic muck dives to white-sand reef dives, wall dives, drift dives, macro dives, and wreck dives, all within an hour’s boat ride from Puerto Galera.”
“Diving in the Philippines is an experience like no other. With more than 7,600 islands and rich biodiversity, the Philippines boast some of the most stunning dive sites on the planet.”
“Puerto Galera should be on top of everyone’s dive destination list because of the unparalleled underwater experience it offers combined with its breathtaking marine biodiversity, great diving conditions year-round, and plenty of top-side activities. Whether you’re an advanced underwater photographer or a novice diver, the Philippines always has something extraordinary to offer.”
- Alert Diver Magazine Q3 2024
For this adventure, I have partnered with my friends at Atlantis Philippines. This will be a combo trip. First, we will spend 6-days/5-nights at their beautiful dive resort in Puerto Galera followed by a 7-night liveaboard trip to Tubbataha on board the Atlantis Azores. 13 wonderful days total! All the while diving some of the most iconic dive sites on the planet. What did I say?? ACTION PACKED right?
As I write this, we have just returned from our 2024 trip to the Philippines. And what can I say…this trip was truly something special! I could use the words “spectacular”, “epic”, “breathtaking” and all those adjectives would be appropriate. But to simplify it…this trip was just plain AWESOME. The Atlantis Philippines resort was outstanding. The Atlantis Azores was a great liveaboard. All the support staff, cooks & dive staff were top-notch. You never want foranything. I can go on and on about them, but needless to say, we would not be returning if they didn’t do a good job. They work tirelessly to ensure we have the best experience possible. And not only that, the Filippino people are just so wonderful, friendly and hospitable. It was such a pleasure spending time with them and getting to know them. I knew the diving would be great, but the care shown to us by the staff is what truly made this trip special.
My friends…for this adventure we can only take 14 lucky divers. That’s all. So…don’t be left out. Secure your spot today!
*Quick Note About Minimum Certification Level:
Atlantis Philippines does not mandate a certain certification level, but I personally would like you to be at least an Advanced Open Water Diver. Also Enriched Air Nitrox certified. The diving will not be very strenuous, but we will be doing up to 5 dives a day in many types of conditions/environments.
Location: Tubbataha is in the Sulu Sea, in the center of the Coral Triangle between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Its two atolls, referred to simply as North and South Atolls, enclose a sandy lagoon and islets that are 4 nautical miles apart. On the southern tip is an islet with a lighthouse that’s used as a rookery by birds and frequented by turtles. Tubbataha Reefs Natural Parks is home to no less than 573 species of fish, 373 species of coral, 12 species of dolphins and whales, 11 species of sharks and nestling hawksbill and green sea turtles.
Puerto Galera Resort Stay (May 3-8, 2027)
Inclusion:
• 5-Night stay in a Deluxe Room at Atlantis Philippines resort at Puerto Galera
• All meals at Toko’s Restaurant (chef prepared breakfast, three course lunch & dinners)
• Coffee, tea & filtered water from 6am-9:30pm (Italian & specialty coffees are not included
after breakfast)
• Unlimited scheduled boat diving up to 4 day & 1 night dive per day! (excludes dawn dives &
additional day trips
• Divemaster guides for each dive
• Use of nitrox tanks & weights (must be nitrox certified to dive nitrox)
• Special Dive Excursion Day trip to Verde Island!!!
• Unlimited internet access at the resort
Exclusions:
• Airfare. We suggest guests fly Singapore Airlines into Singapore (SIN) and connect
direct to Manila (MNL). FCD will help guide you with your air travel arrangements.
• All beverages besides coffee, tea & filtered water.
• Spa treatments
• Tips for your dive crew & resort staff
• Use of rental scuba gear
• Land tours
• Local Tourist Tax: This is charged for each room. And it is pretty cheap. Currently the rate is $4 for
the entire stay. This will be added to your personal bill at the resort.
• Round trip transfers between Manila airport & Puerto Galera. You will be personally met at the
airport and transferred via air-conditioned van between Manila & Batangas followed by a private
water taxi to Sabang pier. Currently the cost for this service is $195 per person
Atlantis Azores Stay (May 8-15, 2027)
Inclusions:
• 7-night stay in a deluxe stateroom
• All meals & snacks
• Complimentary soft drinks, beer & social servings of wine
• All diving to include dive guides. Up to 4 day dives and 1 night dive per day (conditions
permitting)
• Use of nitrox tanks & weights (must be nitrox certified to dive nitrox)
• Starlink internet access in the common areas of the boat
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Exclusions
• Tubbataha Marine Park Access Fee: $120 (subject to change). This will be added to your
resort bill while at Puerto Galera
• Tips for dive guides and boat crew
• Use of rental scuba gear
• Land tours
• Air/Land transfers between Manila & Puerto Princesa. Rate includes roundtrip
domestic economy airfare between Manila & Puerto Princesa, 30kg/66lbs of checked
luggage, air conditioned van land transfers, personal meet & greet at the airports &
luggage assistance. Currently the cost for this is $299 per person (subject to change.
Could have a small price variation because we are going off 2024 pricing)
Rates:
• $7099 per person / double occupancy
• $7599 per person / double occupancy for the Owner’s Suite
Stateroom Availabilily:
It’s first come first serve in regard to stateroom availability. You can certainly request a specific stateroom at booking.
Terms:
• $1750 Non-Refundable / Per Person Deposit due at booking
• $1750 Payment due by March 15, 2026
• $1750 Payment due by Sept 15, 2026
• Balance Due by Jan 15, 2027
Additional Information
• The deposit is non-refundable and will not be refunded for any reason. We are making
a commitment to our travelers, so we expect our travelers to fulfill their commitment to us.
• No additional funds will be returned if canceled within 10 months from the trip.
• In the event someone needs to cancel, they can certainly transfer their secured booking to a
replacement traveler and receive a full refund minus a 10% service fee.
• All trip participants (divers only) are required to have their own personal Diver Supplemental
Insurance. Again, we suggest either D.A.N. or DiveAssure.
• As with all our trips, we highly recommend that our travelers purchase trip insurance. We
recommend either D.A.N. or DiveAssure.
*Special Note concerning the underwater photography provided on this webpage
The underwater photo’s you see below are exclusively from Tubbataha. And I would like to credit these 3 underwater photographers for allowing us to showcase their beautiful photos: Dustin Adamson, Boaz Samorai & Jason Lu
