A prime location for marine life, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, the reef of Tubbataha, in the Philippines, is an exceptional biodiversity sanctuary. It was recently highlighted by the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco through a photo exhibition and a documentary. David Doubilet, iconic American photographer of National Geographic – whose photos are exhibited at the museum – fell in love with this little piece of paradise. Dive in! met him:
What makes the Tubbataha reef so special?Located in the middle of the Sulu Sea, the Tubbataha reef benefits directly from huge currents that carry impressive amounts of plankton: in this plankton, there are larvae, eggs, everything that is part of the food chain and thus everything that hugely attracts fish. The reef itself is isolated, difficult to reach for humans, a true raw diamond.In what way is it a paradise for divers?There are deep drop-offs, the reef is extremely rich, the massive gorgonian fields, probably the most beautiful in the world, and the water is usually very clear. There are cleaning stations, healthy corals, it’s an intensely beautiful experience for a diver and it’s a zone where life is very concentrated. Every dive is a precious moment.As a photographer, what are you looking for in this exceptional place?You have to position yourself on the side of the reef opening… a surprise parade unfolds before our eyes: there are marbled rays, here’s a whale shark, then another whale shark, then a 100 kg tuna, then another 100 kg tuna, then an eagle ray, then a gigantic school of barracudas, then a large school of these wonderful batfish which, when they move through the dark depths, catch the faint rays of the sun and reflect them like gold coins… For a photographer, it’s an absolutely fabulous place. There’s so much life everywhere that you don’t know where to position yourself, where to hold yourself, and where to place your camera.In other regions of the Philippines, are the seabeds similar to the Tubbataha reef?Tubbataha is just one extraordinary place among many others in the Philippines, every corner of this country is different, every region is unique: there are 7,000 islands, sites where you can see garden eels, others where you can see thresher sharks, you can see enormous schools of fish, reefs… It truly is an extraordinary country for a photographer, a diver. But it’s not just the animals and reefs that are interesting, but how 120 million people have to manage to preserve the richest coral in the world! They hold a unique biodiversity under their responsibility, I don’t think there’s any other place like it in the world.
How did you find yourself at Tubbataha?I’ve been fortunate to go there twice, with Marissa Floirendo, a brilliant underwater cinematographer, and Maria-Teresa Lara, also known as « Tet, » an incredibly dedicated photographer with a clear, clean and unique eye. We met in Antarctica where I was preparing a feature for National Geographic, they invited me to the Philippines to discover their paradise. They dedicated a book to this magical place » Tubbataha: a national treasure » and asked me to write the foreword, it was an honor, I loved writing this text. We have since become very good friends: diving, wherever it takes us around the world, creates strong friendships as magnificent and deep as the ocean.
A unique place to protect
To safeguard this site from ecological and environmental threats, protective measures have been implemented. The Tubbataha Natural Park houses 72% of the coral species present in the world’s oceans. It is the largest marine protected area in the country, a sanctuary where marine turtles, sharks, and birds find refuge. Fishing is prohibited there, and park rangers communicate with both locals and tourists to raise awareness.
In 2016, the Monaco Oceanographic Institute launched an expedition into Tubbataha’s waters, in which Prince Albert II of Monaco actively participated. The expedition members were able to witness the fragility of this isolated jewel that, despite everything, is faced with the stranding of numerous waste materials brought back by the ocean onto its beaches and into the clear waters of the protected marine area. This expedition had two main objectives:
– Attach tags to two turtles to track their movements over the year and their habits, to aid in their protection. A long-term partnership between the institute and the Tubbataha park.
– Create 360° videos of the seabed to present to local populations to help them discover the coral wealth they are custodians of.
An unprecedented documentary film
The expedition resulted in a documentary, Coral, Heart of the Ocean, tracing the adventure of the prince and the team of the Oceanographic Institute. Premiered on June 27th last in Monaco, it will be presented to the public throughout the summer starting July 8th within the Oceanographic Museum.
Huge photos taken at Tubbataha by David Doubilet, his partner Jennifer Hayes, and Maria-Teresa Lara are displayed on the walls of the projection room.
Margot Harty