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May 2005
Since I became a scuba diver, I have dreamt of diving in places that are known to have rich underwater life...Great Barrier Reef, Maldives, Palau...Apo Island, Apo Reef, Malapascua...and especially our very own, Tubbataha Reef in Palawan. Known to be one of the World Heritage Sites, your being a diver is never complete without experiencing...diving....in Tubbataha. It is every diver's dream...every diver's mecca( well, at least to us Filipinos).
That dream of mine came true last month. I joined a 5-day live-aboard to Tubbataha. Since it is in the middle of the Sulu Sea (between Mindanao and Palawan), the only way to explore Tubbataha is via a live-aboard boat. The boat practically becomes your "home" for the next 5 days.
We were blessed with good weather and calm seas as we left the port of Puerto Princesa. When we reached North Tubbataha, we were greeted with an almost "lake like" calm, birds chirping, and one lone islet they call "Bird Island". The rest...as you turn 360 degrees, is the sea...as far as your eyes can see. What struck us most is the unbelievable clearness of the water...you can see 100 feet below! That stirred my excitement for the days ahead not doing anything except eating...diving...eating...diving...eating...napping...diving..eating...diving...night diving...dinner..sleeping (repeat 5X). Wow! What a life!
