Everything about this park is large, from leopard sharks, shovel-nosed sharks, manta, eagle rays, tuna groupers and large school of fish. The terrain has much to offer, from gentle slopes to steep walls. There are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels living in the sanctuary. Tubbataha is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) which are endangered species. Giant sharks, giant lapu-lapu(grouper), giant tuna, giant mantas all around. Their sizes are matched by the wide spans of giant sea fans and giant sponges.
Comparable in diversity to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Tubbataha is home to over 300 species of coral and 400 species of fish including giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels. The rare hawksbill turtle also call Tubbataha home. There is some damage from dynamite fishing, but the sight of sea turtles, manta and eagle rays, swirling schools of barracuda, white-tip and hammerhead sharks more than compensates. Basterra reef, 80km southwest, is the cream of the crop. There are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels living in the sanctuary. Tubbataha is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles ( Eretmochelys imbricata ) which are endangered species.
The shallow reef tops are teeming with local reef fish; in many places stingrays, spiny lobsters, immature Manta Rays, turtles, Leopard Sharks and Guitar Sharks are common. The walls are covered in huge barrel sponges, gorgonian sea fans, soft corals, hydroids, black corals. Sightings of black-tip shark Carcharinus melanopterus , white-tip shark Triaenovon abesus, manta rays Mobula dibolus and eagle rays are common. Tridacnid calms such as crocus calm Tridacna crosea, giant clam T. Turtles, we saw Pilot whales, lemon sharks and thresher sharks, Manta rays huge shoals of unicorn surgeon fish. Great quantity of sea birds with blue spotted eggs.
Large marine life such as manta rays, sea turtles, sharks, tuna, dolphins and jackfish are a common sight in the reefs. Fish life which includes mantas, sharks, tunas and fusilier schools patrol the favorite dive sites. Shallow reefs, plunging drop-offs, soft and hard corals, large sea fans, sponges, schools of jacks, surgeons, snappers, rainbow runners, barracuda, tuna, turtles, manta rays and sharks are just some of the wonderful attractions that makes this cruise tremendously exciting.
Manta and Eagle rays, white and black tip reef sharks,nurse, shovelnose, leopard and hammerhead sharks are common. Schools of jacks and snappers congregate on the wall. Sightings of black-tip shark Carcharinus melanopterus , white-tip shark Triaenovon abesus , manta rays Mobula dibolus and eagle rays are common. Tridacnid calms such as crocus calm Tridacna crosea , giant clam T.
Blue-spotted lagoon rays, sea cucumbers and sea stars are predominant in the sandy patches. The shallow part of the lighthouse has sea grass that attracts turtles. The place and atolls have shallow lagoons surrounded by a mere 200 to 500 meters worth of reef which ends in a steep deep drop off in sea like a cliff underneath water. The atoll’s edges are made up of reef crests in low tide are exposed creating landscape at the tip of the sea.Tubbataha is well know in the southern part of the Philippines as a fisher folk. It is composed of two large shallow reef platforms enclosing a sandy lagoon. On the seaward portions of the reef platform are steep, often perpendicular reef walls extending to 50 feet.
Tags: Reef Marine Park, Leopard Sharks, Gentle Slopes, Giant Mantas, Sea Turtles, Giant Clam, Giant Tuna, Reef Fish, Moorish Idols{ 0 comments }
