Fortunately, recognizing its great biodiversity value, the government of the Philippines first protected the area through legislation in 1988.
Because of the great distance from the mainland and the often-difficult climate, Tubbataha remained isolated until the early 1980s, when local fishers equipped with motorboats, began exploitation, fishing with bombs and without rules. What remains are the corals, which continue to grow upwards that appear today like giant coral rings surrounding its respective lagoon. Over the passing millennia, the volcanoes became extinct and the islands submerged into the depths of the ocean. The word “Tubbataha” is a Samal term that means “long reef exposed at low tide.” The reef comprising Tubbataha formed thousands of years ago as fringing reefs peeled off from the many volcanic islands along the Cagayan Ridge. The remote and undisturbed character of the park and the continued presence of large marine fauna such as tiger sharks, cetaceans and turtles, and big schools of pelagic fishes such as barracuda and trevallies add to the aesthetic qualities of the property. Tubbataha is also a breeding and rookery ground for many species of migratory and resident seabirds, including the Critically Endangered Christmas Island frigatebird. 181 of the species found there are threatened to some degree, from Vulnerable to Critically Endangered. As a home to more than 1,200 marine species, the Park is an important asset for global conservation.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is a marine protected area and world-renowned scuba diving site. As one of the Philippines’ oldest ecosystems, the site protects an area of almost 100,000 hectares of high quality marine habitats, extensive reef flats as well as two vast atolls North and South Atoll, and a high coral bottom called Jessie Beazley. In the center of the Sulu Sea, 90 miles south of Palawan Island, lies Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park known for its extraordinary biodiversity, excellent examples of unspoiled reefs, and breathtaking drop-offs into the open ocean.
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