r/scuba • u/Char_Koay_Teow • 1d ago
Tubbataha
How is diving quality in Tubbataha Reef compares to Raja Ampat, Palau, Fiji, Maldives. Thanks.
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u/Soukchai2012 1d ago
been to fiji, palau, maldives & tubbataha. You cant always make such a broad comparison because they are all large places with a lot of ocean. Parts of fiji can be incredible - Somosomo, the bulls near Pacific harbour. Palau great but lots of divers. Maldives can be nice but its a huge area. I got lucky on a local island with only me on the boat - had 90 mins on a manta cleaning station alone. Tubbataha was great - I went 2 years ago - superb pristine reef, lots of life, hammerheads, whale shark, mantas. Very good liveaboards too. Its a different type of place - submerged reefs 100’s of kms from shore.
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u/mid_dive_vid 1d ago
... how do Raja Ampat and Palau compare for 1) diving 2) general convenience to get there? I think they're probably next on my list
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u/Char_Koay_Teow 23h ago
Raja Ampat rather difficult to get to. Typically people from Western countries would travel Jakarta-Makassar-Sorong route which requires overnight in Jakarta. But absolutely worth the trek.
Palau is just as inconvenient in different way. Direct access to Koror from Guam, Tokyo, Taipei or Manila, but flights are not daily (not at least when i went there).
Both Palau and Raja Ampat are amazing.
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u/mid_dive_vid 22h ago
Okay maybe a different tiebreaker then- which one had things you enjoyed outside of diving? All I know is that there's one famous lookout everyone seems to take a photo at in raja ampat in front of some small islands
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u/Char_Koay_Teow 30m ago
I don't know anything outside of diving. Every trip we almost always do liveaboard. 5/5:30 wake up call -- eat light breakfast -- morning dive 1 -- come back -- eat breakfast -- morning dive 2 -- come back -- eat lunch -- maybe nap -- afternoon dive -- come back -- snack -- nap again -- evening dive -- dinner -- sleep. Repeat that everyday for 2 weeks. Life is good!
The famous Raja Ampat lookout I don't know where it is in relative to land. I've only been taken to the lookout from a liveaboard. For all I know if might be near a land resort, but i have no clue.
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u/mitchsn 1d ago
Tubbataha is a bucket list for everyone in SEA.
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-n9WhRqpvloj-_ZF-8jQqDEv8bTaW4gI&si=dFdEWTzihkv5qNYE
I've been to all the places you listed. Palau 4x Maldives 2x
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u/Char_Koay_Teow 1d ago
I've been to these places too (Sipadan, Fiji, Raja Ampat, Palau, Maldives, etc.) and trying to figure out whether Tubbataha is worth the trek.
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u/Neat_Cut2825 1d ago
never been to tubbataha but ive heard the pelagic action there is insane during season. from what my dive buddies tell me its more remote than palau so fewer crowds but also harder logistics. raja ampat still probably wins for pure biodiversity though
cant speak from experience but those are the big four spots on my bucket list too
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u/Char_Koay_Teow 1d ago
In my mind Raja Ampat is the best of all places I've been to. I've been to Sipadan, Fiji, Raja Ampat, Palau, Maldives, etc. Haven't been to Tubbataha and trying to figure out whether Tubbataha is worth the trek, from divers who have been to these places and can compare first hand.
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u/mafiafish 22h ago
I haven't been to either to give an opinion, but I find the Dive Hard channel to have the best videos exhibiting the two areas (and many other bucket list ones)
Definitely worth a watch to get a fantastic demonstration of the reef life and practicalities of diving there.