A brand-new 135ft catamaran launching this winter. 32 guests · 16 guest cabins · 18–21 dives over 8 days / 7 nights. Three routes across the year: Tubbataha from Puerto Princesa (March–June), the Visayas from Cebu (July–October), and El Nido–Coron–Apo Reef across Palawan (November–February).
An extraordinary reef deserves an extraordinary boat
Tubbataha Reef National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most biodiverse marine environments on earth — and one of the most difficult to reach. Only accessible by liveaboard during the brief March–June season, it rewards those who make the journey with pristine walls, pelagic encounters, and reefs that feel untouched by time.
Our brand-new 135ft catamaran is purpose-built for this crossing and this reef. Designed by Sand Island Resort — Coron's most acclaimed island resort — she combines the seakeeping ability needed for the 93 nautical mile crossing with the comfort and space that makes an 8-day charter genuinely luxurious.
New Build 2026
Purpose-built dive catamaran launching this winter for her inaugural 2027 season. Foam-cored positive flotation throughout — engineered to float even fully flooded.
Sand Island Pedigree
Built by the team behind Sand Island Resort, Coron's 4.9★ island resort.
16 Guest Cabins
2 Master Staterooms, 2 bridgedeck cabins, and 12 hull cabins — all with private en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning.
Full Dive Operation
Dedicated dive deck, eight compressors (four running — up to 160 fills a day), full tank racks, BCD storage, and rinse stations on each hull. Two 20ft dive tenders for site transfers.
Expert Local Team
Experienced dive guides who know Tubbataha intimately, supported by a full hospitality crew.
TRNP Compliant
Full sewage holding system, Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate, AIS transponder. Protecting the reef we love.
The Vessel
Built for the crossing. Built for the reef.
A 135ft fiberglass catamaran with 22.7ft overall beam, designed around the speedboat hulls that have served Sand Island Resort for years. Slender, fast, and stable — powered by twin Yamaha F115 outboards, she crosses overnight to Tubbataha at a relaxed 10 knots — quiet, fuel-efficient, with comfortable power in reserve at cruise. Guests sleep while the catamaran glides across the Sulu Sea, arriving at the reef at dawn.
Drag to orbit · scroll or pinch to zoom · buttons in the model toggle tenders and views · dimensional model, v9 geometry
Length Overall
135ft 41.1m
Overall Beam
22.7ft 6.9m
Hull Gap
10ft 3.0m
Hull Speed (theoretical)
15.6kt
Cruise Speed
10kt crossing
Draft (loaded)
~1.6ft 0.5m
Propulsion
2 × Yamaha F115
Generators
2 × Isuzu 24kW
Guest Capacity
32 guests
Crossing Time
~9h 20min overnight
Air Conditioning
All cabins Carrier Aura
Accommodation
Sixteen guest cabins. Every one en-suite.
All cabins have private bathrooms, air conditioning, and storage. Every cabin sleeps two on a full king bed — 76-inch cabins, king mattresses wall to wall. Twelve of the sixteen are convertible: one king bed, or two 38-inch single bunks — your choice when you book. The Masters and hull cabins A4/B4 (whose king platforms are built around the fresh-water tanks) are fixed kings.
Master Staterooms
Master Stateroom 1 & 2
King bed oriented across the bow, with a 3ft couch/shelf along the outboard wall where the bridgedeck meets the hull. Private WC, closet, and door opening forward into the cabin from the centreline corridor.
2 cabins · King bed · Bridgedeck, forward
Bridgedeck Cabins
Cabins 3 & 4
Bridgedeck cabins on either side of the central corridor. Convertible — one king bed or 38-inch single bunks, your choice. Private WC and closet, with one entry door from the walkway.
2 cabins · King or bunks · Bridgedeck, midships
Hull Cabins — Queen
Cabins A4, B4
King beds spanning the full hull width, on raised platforms — mattress on top. Private en-suite WC and closet on the inboard side.
2 cabins · King bed · Hull, midships
Hull Cabins — Convertible
Cabins A1, A2, A3, A5, A6 B1, B2, B3, B5, B6
Ten convertible cabins — one king bed spanning the hull width, or two 38-inch single bunks on the inboard side with a 3ft walkway. Tell us your preference when booking. Ideal for couples, buddy pairs, and solo divers alike.
10 cabins · King or bunks · Hull, various positions
Crew Cabin — Bow
Crew Quarters
Three crew cabins — two at the bow of each hull (with chain locker, WC, walkspace, and two bunks each) and one on the bridgedeck midships. Purpose-built for the 14-person crew supporting your charter.
3 cabins · Crew only · 14 crew
All Cabins Include
Standard Amenities
Carrier Aura inverter air conditioning · Private en-suite bathroom · Saltwater flush toilet · Fresh water shower with timed valve · Storage · 220V charging outlets
16 guest cabins total (2 MS · 2 bridgedeck · 2 queen hull · 10 bunk hull) · 32 guests maximum
Scuba Diving
The world's greatest undisturbed reef.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park covers 97,000 hectares of pristine ocean and is widely considered the crown jewel of Philippine diving — and among the finest dive destinations on earth. A UNESCO World Heritage Site accessible only during the March–June season, it rewards every diver who makes the journey.
Amos RockA legendary seamount rising from deep water, famous for schooling hammerheads, thresher sharks, and eagle rays.
Black RockA dramatic pinnacle encrusted with sea fans and soft corals. Resident white-tip reef sharks circle constantly.
North Atoll WallA sheer vertical wall plunging hundreds of metres, draped in enormous sea fans and barrel sponges.
South AtollManta ray cleaning stations, whale sharks on the blue, and pristine coral gardens in the shallows.
Jessie Beazley ReefAn isolated submerged reef halfway between the two atolls. Exceptional fish life and frequent pelagic encounters.
Why Tubbataha
UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993
97,030 hectares of protected marine park
Over 360 species of coral, 600 species of fish
Regular encounters with whale sharks, hammerheads, thresher sharks, manta rays, and dolphins
No permanent human habitation — ranger station only
93 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa (~9h 20min) — liveaboard only access
Park entry fee required
Dive Facilities
— Eight dive compressors — four running at any time, up to 160 tank fills a day
— Full tank racks — 2 tanks per guest minimum
— BCD and wetsuit hanging racks
— Freshwater rinse tanks on each dive deck
— Dive briefing
— 21 dives included over the charter
— NITROX included
— Experienced Tubbataha dive guides
Dining
From our galley to your table.
Delicious Western and Filipino dishes and a full bar. Our full-service galley feeds 32 guests three times a day — buffet style in the open living and dining area, with meals timed around your dives.
Breakfast
American Breakfast
Fresh eggs any style
Filipino breakfast — tapsilog, longsilog
Bread, pastries, cereals
Fresh tropical fruit
Coffee, tea, fresh juice
Lunch & Dinner
Fresh fish — tuna, grouper, tanigue
Grilled prawns and seafood
Chicken and pork dishes
Filipino classics — sinigang, adobo, kare-kare
Rice, vegetables, salads
Vegetarian options daily
Bar
San Miguel beer
House wines
Rum, gin, vodka
Classic cocktails
Fresh coconuts and juices
Soft drinks
Unlimited water
Charter Details
Eight days, seven nights. A lifetime of memories.
1
Day 1 — Departure Puerto Princesa
Board at Puerto Princesa. Depart evening, crossing overnight to Tubbataha (93nm, ~9h 20min). Welcome dinner aboard.
2–3
North Atoll — Tubbataha
4 dives daily at the North Atoll — walls, pinnacles, and shark encounters.
4
Jessie Beazley & Mid-Crossing
3–4 dives — Jessie Beazley Reef in the morning, then back to the South Atoll walls for the afternoon.
5–6
South Atoll — Tubbataha
4 dives daily at the South Atoll — mantas, whale sharks, pristine walls. Sunset on the reef.
7
Day 7 — Return Puerto Princesa
Two morning dives, then depart for Puerto Princesa. Arrive late evening.
8
Day 8 — Departure
Checkout time is 8am. Transportation to airport provided after breakfast.
Charter Pricing · 2027
Per person (shared cabin) MAY–JUN 2027$2,400$1,920 USD
A 50% deposit secures your cabin; the remaining balance is due 90 days before departure. Deposits are fully refundable until 90 days before the charter. Bookings are transferable: you may send another diver in your place at no extra charge. Changes to itinerary forced by weather are not refundable. We can't be responsible for any weather or travel cancellations or delays — please obtain a travel insurance policy for that.
Dive Malapascua, Moalboal, Dauin. The Visayas, one boat, one week.
When the southwest monsoon closes the Tubbataha season, the Visayas open. This is a sheltered, coastal route of short lee-side hops between three of the Philippines' most famous dive regions — the only place on earth with reliable daily thresher shark encounters, the Moalboal sardine run just metres off the beach, and the macro capital of the country at Dauin, with Apo Island's community-protected reef next door. Cebu round trip, no long open-water crossing, calm anchorages every night.
1
Day 1 — Departure Cebu
Board at Cebu (Mactan). Depart evening for the short overnight run north to Malapascua. Welcome dinner aboard.
2–3
Malapascua — Thresher Sharks
Dawn thresher dives at Monad Shoal both mornings, then Gato Island and Kimud Shoal — 3–4 dives daily. Evening Day 3, we run south along the sheltered coast.
4–5
Moalboal — The Sardine Run
Millions of sardines metres from shore, Pescador Island's walls, and turtle-covered reefs — 3–4 dives daily. Evening Day 5, a short hop south to Dauin.
6
Dauin — Macro Capital
World-class muck diving on the black-sand slopes — frogfish, rhinopias, blue-rings — including a dusk macro dive.
7
Apo Island, then home
Morning dives on Apo Island's protected reef, then the return run north. Arrive Cebu late evening.
8
Day 8 — Disembark
Breakfast aboard, then disembark at Cebu. Please book onward travel for late morning or after.
Why Malapascua, Moalboal, Dauin
The only reliable daily thresher shark encounters in the world — Monad Shoal at dawn
The Moalboal sardine run — millions of fish in a living bait-ball, metres off the beach
Dauin: the Philippines' premier muck diving, with Apo Island's community-protected reef alongside
Sheltered coastal route — short lee-side hops and calm anchorages through the monsoon season
No long open-water crossing — every leg runs overnight or in an evening
Same boat, same crew — 18 dives, NITROX included
Third Season · November–February · alternating El Nido ↔ Coron
Dive El Nido, Coron, Apo Reef. Mantas, wrecks, dugongs — one week, one way.
The El Nido–Coron corridor is Palawan's most beautiful stretch of water, and until now it belonged to snorkel expedition boats. This is the dive-liveaboard version: manta encounters at Linapacan, the WWII wreck fleet of Coron Bay, a regulated dawn dugong encounter off north Busuanga, and two full days on Apo Reef — the largest reef in the Philippines, in its December-to-May prime — with an evening ashore at our own Sand Island Resort in the middle of it. One way, airport to airport, no backtracking. The route reverses on alternating weeks.
1
Day 1 — Departure El Nido
Board at El Nido (Lio airport 20 minutes away). Welcome dinner aboard, then a short night hop to the Linapacan islands.
2
Linapacan — Mantas
Manta encounters and untouched reefs in some of the clearest water in the Philippines — 3–4 dives. Evening hop to Chindonan.
3
Chindonan — First Wrecks & Beach BBQ
Wreck and reef diving in our home waters — 3–4 dives — then an evening ashore: beach barbecue at Sand Island Resort.
4
Coron Bay — The Wreck Fleet
The WWII Japanese wrecks — from the beginner-friendly Olympia Maru to the legendary Akitsushima — 3–4 dives. Evening run north around Busuanga.
5
North Busuanga — Dugongs
A dawn dugong encounter (regulated snorkel interaction with local guides), then reef dives off Dimakya. Late-day crossing to Apo Reef on the weather window.
6–7
Apo Reef
Two days on the Philippines' largest reef — walls, resting white-tips, Apo 29's barracuda — 6 dives, overnight at the reef. Afternoon Day 7, the run to Coron; alongside by evening.
8
Day 8 — Disembark Coron
Breakfast aboard, then disembark at Coron — Busuanga airport is 30 minutes away. On alternating weeks this itinerary runs in reverse, Coron to El Nido.
Why El Nido, Coron, Apo Reef
No other liveaboard combines this corridor's mantas, wrecks, dugongs and Apo Reef in a single week
Apo Reef — the largest reef in the Philippines — in its December-to-May prime season
The Coron Bay WWII wreck fleet: a dozen divable ships in sheltered water
A regulated dawn dugong encounter off north Busuanga — one of the few places on earth to meet them
One-way, airport to airport: fly into El Nido, out of Coron (or the reverse) — no backtracking
An evening ashore at Sand Island Resort, our home island, mid-trip
18–20 dives + the dugong encounter, NITROX included
Book Your Place
Reserve your cabin. Secure your spot.
Our first season runs May and June 2027. Make a booking and we will hold your spaces for 36 hours so you have time to arrange the deposit payment.
✓ Included in Price
VAT · Airport Transfer · Hotel Transfer · Drinking Water · Tea & Coffee · Full-Board Meal Plan (all meals) · Snacks · Diving Package — 21 Dives · NITROX · Towels · Complimentary Toiletries · WiFi Internet
Required Extras
Park & Port Fees: $270–370 USD per trip Fuel Surcharge: $100 USD per trip
Account Name: David James Vann
Account Number: 9799-3458-78
Bank: Bank of the Philippine Islands
💸 Zelle — USD
davidvann@gmail.com
💳 PayPal — USD only
davidjvann@yahoo.com
🏦 Chase Bank Wire Transfer — USD
Account Name: David Vann
Account Number: 393728818
Routing Number: 325070760
Swift Code (International): CHASUS33
Enquiry Received!
Thank you! We'll get back to you soon and look forward to welcoming you to Tubbataha! You can pay your deposit to reserve your spot using any of the payment methods listed below.
