DOLPHIN I 6 - 7 NIGHTS I MAR - JUN 2021 I TUBBATAHA I PHILIPPINES

OUR BOAT

The MV Dolphin is a fantastic option for a budget-friendly dive liveaboard in the Philippines with great dive deck facilities, nitrox  and services for Tech Divers are available.

OUR CABINS

Topside the M/V Dolphin Philippines caters to 18 guests in 9 air-conditioned cabins. Located on the lower deck are 2 cabins with twin beds and 1 cabin with a queen bed and single upper bunk bed. Located on the upper deck are 4 bunk bed cabins with a Queen size lower bunk and single upper bunk, all cabins have a TV and are carpeted with en-suite bathrooms. 2 VIP Cabins are also located on the upper deck and have a King size bed, an extra sofa, mini-bar & TV. Towels are provided in all cabins.

AMENITIES

Social areas include the indoor salon, bar and dining area, where freshly prepared Asian-Fusion cuisine is served. There is also an open-air lounge area on the top deck, a great place to unwind after a day of spectacular diving in the Philippines.

FOOD ON BOARD

The Chef onboard will prepare fresh Asian - Fusion cuisine for your full board meal plan with vegetarian options and including snacks all day. You will also have Drinking Water, Tea, Coffee Local Beer and Soft drinks included in your package.

DIVING WITH US

Join the M/V Dolphin liveaboard in the Philippines for an exciting dive trip to Tubbataha, Apo and Coron reefs. Spectacular diving in the Philippines is available year-round. The Tubbataha Marine Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and diving is only available between March - June. Home to almost 90% of the coral species in the Philippines, divers may encounter up to 11 species of shark, as well as whale sharks, manta rays, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse and Tuna. Between June and February, the Dolphin liveaboard relocates to Puerto Galera to dive Apo Reef & Coron. Coron is known to have some of the best wreck diving in SE Asia and combined with the stunning diving of Apo Reef marine sanctuary, makes for another fantastic dive trip.

TWIN CABINS

Twin-sharing cabins with private toilet and bath, equipped with Aircon and TV.

• Max occupancy: 2 people
• Bedding: Twin (2 Single)
• Ensuite Bathroom: Yes
• Aircon: Aircon with control in room

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BUNK CABINS

Twin-sharing cabins with private toilet and bath, equipped with Aircon and TV.

• Max occupancy: 2 people
• Bedding: 1 Queen and 1 Single upper bunk bed
• Ensuite Bathroom: Yes
• Aircon: Aircon with control in room

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VIP SUITE

VIP rooms with King sized bed, private toilet and bath also have mini bar, safety box. Hot and cold shower 

• Max occupancy: 2 people
• Bedding: 1 King size bed
• Ensuite Bathroom: Yes
• Aircon: Aircon with control in room

MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION 

• For this route the boat leaves from Port Puerto Princesa and ends at Port Puerto Princesa
• The closest airport is Puerto Princesa (PPS), Palawan
• Attention! Port departure/arrival can be changed due to internal boat logistic, bad weather conditions on previous week or bad weather forecast. In case of changes all transfers are provided to the new marina, cannot be issue of refund or compensations

EMBARKATION AND DEPARTURE

• Local transfers are not included, but can be arranged
• Check in at the boat is from 15.00. 
• The boat departs Puerto Princesa at 18.00.

ARRIVAL AND DISEMBARKATION

• The boat arrives into port the in the morning of the last day. 
• All passengers must check out of their cabins by 10:00.
• Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon
• It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive!
• It is recommended that you plan a further day stay over before leaving the area. 
• In case of need the boat could give advance notice and of necessity to provide the last night in a 4 * HB hotel, if it was the case, the hotel is paid by the boat and any extra transfer is offered free of charge

EXTRA INFORMATION

• U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the Philippines for purposes of tourism without a visa if they present their passport, valid for at least six months after their date of entry into the Philippines, and a return ticket to the United States/Canada or an onward ticket to another country.
• Check with the Philippines Embassy for visa requirements if you are not a U.S. citizen.
• Guests who are planning to arrive in Puerto Princesa on the day of embarkation are kindly asked to book flights arriving no later than 12:00.
• Due to local regulations, and crossing time from Puerto Princesa, it is imperative that all guests embark at the same time to avoid unnecessary delays to departure from Puerto Princesa, and potentially missing dives as a result of such delays

GENERAL INFORMATION

• We suggest guests have an Advanced Open Water certification and least 50 dives logged
• Solo diving is not allowed
• This route operate Mid-March to mid-June only
• Night dives are prohibited in Tubbataha due to higher currents
• There is at least one dive guide per every five divers. 
• The dives are guided and allow for 50 – 60 minutes of bottom time.
• To dive with a dive buddy, you must be a PADI Open Water diver or equivalent and be able to complete each dive with your buddy or following your guide. On some dives the recommended depth is below 18m therefore advanced or Deep Diver training is advised.
• Many of the dives in Philippines are suitable for all levels of divers, however, unpredictable and strong currents are to be expected anytime and anywhere. Inexperienced divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience
• Number of planned dives depending on the weather conditions and the route are varied but with an average of 4 dives per day
• Currents in some areas of this route can be strong.

PROGRAM

• DAY 1: Arrival and assistance at the airport. Collecting your luggage. At the indicated time, transfer to the port. Boarding the boat, welcome drink and presentation briefing of the boat and crew. Distribution of cabins. Overnight on board. You can take some time this day to prepare your diving equipment. 
• DAYS 2nd to Penultimate day: There are up to 20 dives planned in this trip. Diving trip with full board and daily diving plan. You will dive the most important dive sites of this route. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests, schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from
• Penultimate Day: 2-3 dives during the day. Dinner and accommodation on board. Night transit to Puerto Princesa, early morning arrival at port.
• Final Day: Disembark in Port. Transfer to the hotel or airports.

Tubbataha

• The Tubbataha 6 and 7 Night Itinerary (Puerto Princesa to Puerto Princesa) trip departs Puerto Princesa on an overnight transit to Tubbataha, a UNESCO World heritage site. Here you will explore the 2 atolls and Jesse Beazley reef. This is one of the world’s best diving destinations for its lush healthy coral and marine life.

Dive areas: 

• North Tubbataha, South Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley atolls

Sample dive sites: 

• Shark Airport, Ranger Station, Delsan Wreck, Blackrock, Wall Street, Malayan Wreck 

Highlights: 

• Clear water, pelagics, vibrant marine life, hundreds of corals

Reefs:

• Soft and hard corals, vertical walls, tunnels, caverns

• Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park lies in a unique position in the centre of the Sulu Sea and includes the Tubbataha and Jessie Beazley Reefs. It protects an area of almost 100,000 hectares of high-quality marine habitats containing three atolls and a large area of deep sea. Home to a great diversity of marine life; whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles and Napoleon wrasse are amongst the key species found here. The reef ecosystems support over 350 species of coral and almost 500 species of fish. 
• The remote and undisturbed character of the region 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.
• The presence of top predator species, such as tiger and hammerhead sharks, are indicators of the ecological balance of the property. The property also offers a demonstration site to study the responses of a natural reef system in relation to the impacts of climate change.
• Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park provides an important habitat for internationally threatened and endangered marine species. Located within the Coral Triangle, the reef supports 374 species of corals, almost 90% of all coral species in the Philippines. The reefs also support eleven species of cetaceans, eleven species of sharks, and an estimated 479 species of fish, including the iconic and threatened Napoleon wrasse. There are the highest population densities known in the world for white tip reef sharks. Pelagic species such as jacks, tuna, barracuda, manta rays, whale sharks and different species of sharks also are common here and the property is a very important nesting, resting and juvenile development area for two species of endangered marine turtles: green turtles and hawksbill turtles.

INCLUDED

• Taxes
• Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Local Beer, Soft drinks
• Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, 
• Diving Package, Cabin Towels.

NOT INCLUDED

• Visas and Fees.
• Gratuities
• Airport Transfer
• Hotel Transfer
• Alcoholic Beverages
• Rental Gear.
• BCD 400 PHP per day
• Dive Computer 400 PHP per day
• Dive Light 150-300 EUR per day
• Fins 100 PHP per day
• Mask 100 PHP per day
• Regulator 400 PHP per day
• SMB 100 EUR per day
• Wetsuit 250 PHP per day

National Park Fees (3,000-5,000 PHP per trip), 

• Apo Reef Marine Park fee 3000 Php per diver for 48 hours.
• Anilao and Maricaban Island 200 Php per diver per diving day.
• Tubbataha Reef 2019-2020 conservation fee 5000 Php 
• Busuanga Ship Wrecks   500Php
• Busuanga to Dugong      500Php

CANCELLATION POLICY:

What happens if I have to cancel my reservation?

Your reservation request is free and you can cancel it at any time within the first 72 hours. During this time, you can easily find matching flights and get answers from our reservation team for any other questions you may have. Once you have confirmed and paid for your reservation, the following cancellation policy will apply:

• 30 % non refundable
• Between 120 days and 90 days before trip = 70 % refundable
• Less than 90 days before trip = no refund

In case of cancellation, the refund will be transferred to your bank account, credit card or PayPal account within 10 business days

BEFORE TRAVELLING

• Make sure you meet the country's requirements corresponding to your nationality
• Make sure your passport is valid at least six months after the date you plan to visit the country
• Diving insurance is mandatory for divers of all ages on all of our trips: bring your certificate as proof
• It is strongly recommended to have travel insurance that is appropriate for the type of diving holidays you are going to do
• Check the electrical standards (such as which plugs are used) in your destination country before travelling and bring the appropriate adaptor if necessary.
• The itinerary and the number of dives are indicative and are subject to weather conditions and conditions: safety is always first
• All divers must provide their diving certification card
• Diving computers are compulsory
• Local rates, fuel surcharges, distance rates, port fees, etc. may change without notice due to changes in government policy, changes in the price of oil, etc. The changes are beyond our control and the increases must be paid if the boat requests them. We will endeavor to inform you of any changes as soon as possible. A change in these rates does not entitle you to cancel the trip.