DOT hails Lonely Planet mention of 3 top PH dive sites

FILE: The image was taken on a Catlin Seaview Survey expedition to Tubbataha Natural Park of the Philippine waters of the Sulu Sea in the heart of the Coral Triangle. (File photo by Catherine Kim (University of Queensland) – BMC Ecology image competition 2014: the winning images. BMC Ecology 2014, CC BY 4.0)

MANILA – The Department of Tourism (DOT) celebrates the mention of multiple Philippine dive sites in the Lonely Planet’s article entitled “6 national parks around the world with surprisingly spectacular diving”.

“This citation from the largest travel guide book publisher, Lonely Planet, is positive news, something to be proud of especially for the tourism stakeholders of Tubbataha, Palawan, and Cebu,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat in a press released issued Thursday.

Lonely Planet writer Angela Ballard said, “At the thousands of dive sites scattered throughout the Philippines, you’ll be enchanted by the more than 1,200 macro and pelagic species that live in these waters”.

“The incredible biodiversity of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park in Palawan earned it the UNESCO World Heritage Site status,” Ballard noted.

The Lonely Planet writer encouraged a visit to Palawan dive spots like Amos Rock, Washing Machine, and Black Rock to “experience 600 species of fish, 360 species of coral, 11 species of sharks and 13 species of dolphins and whales, along with manta rays, barracuda, nudibranchs, pipefish, and seahorses”.

“This fortifies our status as one of the premier diving sites in the world, and very timely with the scheduled staging of the second edition of the Philippine Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2020,” Puyat said. (DOT PR)