Discovery Palawan
Discovery Palawan Liveaboard Dive Trips
Discovery Palawan offers 3 different liveaboard dive trips around the Philippines throughout the year.
Originally constructed as a three-masted schooner in 1972 in Groningen, Holland, this vessel traveled around the Caribbean and was later redesigned to serve as a navigation training ship. In 2006, she went through a refitting process and was given a new and more robust engine plus state-of-the-art navigational equipment. Then she was brought to the Philippines to fulfill the role of an adventure cruise ship. In 2013, the cruise ship was renamed Discovery Palawan and went through a $1.5 million renovation to give her a fresh and stylish look.
You can expect excellent service, and incredible diving while onboard Discovery Palawan, considered one of the top liveabords in the Philippines.
Book The Ultimate Liveaboard Dive Vacation Aboard The Discovery Palawan Liveaboard with The Ultimate Dive Travel Agency
Tubbataha Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and only accessible by liveaboard three months out of the year. These pristine reefs, located 100 miles offshore in the Sula Sea, are protected by rangers year round and made up of North and South Atolls and Jessie Beazley Reef. Divers can experience wonderful visibility and some of the best diving the Philippines has to offer from March until June each year.
Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to no less than 573 species of fish, 373 species of corals, 11 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales, nestling hawksbill and green sea turtles.
Daily dive schedule
Comprised of several thousand islands and surrounded by nutrient-rich waters, it’s not a surprise that the Visayas region is home to the majority of the wonderful sites in the Philippines.
The best dive sites have been handpicked to come up with an exciting trip that features a wide variety of marine fauna including beautiful reefs, sea fan adorned walls, manta rays, thresher sharks, whale sharks, and amazing macro life.
Here are the highlights of the trip:
You will head out to the beautiful Kalanggaman for the first dive which will serve as a check out dive before exploring its captivating walls and reefs. You will have an opportunity to relax on the beach and enjoy the idyllic island vibe. After the second dive, the ship will go to Monad Shoal in Malapascua for a nice afternoon dive at the manta cleaning station. There will be two morning dives at Monad Shoal where you are likely to encounter thresher sharks then we’ll go to Gato Island for an afternoon and night dive.
Feel the adrenaline rush as you go through a 100 foot long tunnel that cuts through the small island at a depth of only 35 feet. You will need a torch to light up your way and be delighted as you witness the walls come alive with a variety of sponges, crustaceans, and vibrant Tubastrea coral which showcases its yellow beauty at night.
Outside the tunnel, you can spot bommies in lovely pastel shades of yellow and orange soft corals. Get a chance to feast your eyes on stunning nudibranchs including the Spanish dancer which resembles the swirl of a Flamenco dancer’s red skirt.
Explore awesome marine sanctuaries and idyllic secluded islands like never before – away from the busy crowds. From the surface or deeper depths, experience nature at its finest. Our exclusive and unique itinerary takes us around Apo Reef, Calumbuyan Reef, and the stunning Siete Pecados. Trust us, the picturesque and panoramic views, never get old. You’ll want to add this to your bucket-list!
Daily Dive Schedule:
13 cabins with 2 Single Beds (Twin)
2 cabins with 1 Queen Bed
1 family cabin with 2 single beds + 1 elevated double bed (good for 2 adults & 2 kids)
4 upper deck cabins
2 cabins with 1 double bed
2 cabins with 2 single beds
popular Dives sites
Moalboal & Pescador
Pescador, a small and ellipse-shaped island nestled in the municipality of Moalboal, is noted for its fringing reefs, drop-off and a plethora of marine life.
Upon reaching 12 to 30 feet, witness the grandeur of a sloping reef covered with both hard and soft corals. The drop off and walls overgrown with sponge reaches down to about 180 feet and feature numerous cracks and crevices worth exploring. You’ll be delighted by the glorious sea fans and colorful soft corals that embellish the walls where sponges with camouflaged frogfish wait to ambush their prey.
We will move closer to the mainland, near the town of Moalboal in the afternoon so that you can experience the thrill of finning through the Philippines’ form of a sardine run.
Oslob
Oslob used to be a tranquil and poor coastal town in the province of Cebu but it quickly became famous from the regular visits of whale sharks, locally referred to as the “butanding”.
Once hunted for their meat, the whale shark has become Oslob’s tourism champion because their presence provides sustainable income for many families in the municipality.
Many tourists visit Oslob to experience the thrill of snorkeling or diving with the biggest fish in the sea. These gentle, majestic creatures allow the residents to have a steady income as guides, boatmen, and other work.
Not frequently visited by divers, Cabilao has maintained its pristine and untouched underwater realm. Here you’ll find corals that seem to be more prolific and healthier than other popular dive sites in the region of Visayas. Some of the rich marine life that you can encounter in these waters are pygmy seahorses attached on colorful sea fans and sea moths crawling on the sandy bottom.