M/V Discovery Palawan

Destination: Philippines

Tubbataha, Apo Reef, Cebu - Malapascua - Visayas (4-6 Nights) | From $400++/night

M/V Discovery Palawan Quick Pitch

Built in 1972 in Groningen, Holland as a three-masted schooner that cruised the Caribbean. She was later rebuilt as a navigation training ship then refitted in 2006 with a new and more powerful engine with all modern navigational equipment. She was moved to the Philippines to serve as an adventure cruise ship. In 2013, she was renamed Discovery Palawan and underwent a USD 1.5 million renovation for a fresh, modern look

Dive Overview

The Discovery Fleet offers full diving and non-diving programs. Avid divers can expect a full day of scuba diving the spectacular coral reefs, wrecks and marine life of this sun-kissed archipelago while their non-diving companions have a full day or snorkeling, island visits, kayaking, and beach hopping.

[See: Tubbataha Dive Travel Guide & Dumaguete Dive Travel Guide]

Watch this awesome video to learn more about Tubbataha!

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Accommodations

Types of Cabins, Amenities and Photos

M/V Discovery Palawan Cabin Overview

20 rooms: 16 standard rooms (lower deck) with centralized air conditioning and 4 upper deck rooms with personal climate control. The standard cabins can be configured as 2 single beds (twin), 1 queen bed, or a family cabin with 2 single beds and 1 elevated double bed. The upper deck rooms can be configured as 1 double bed or 2 single beds.

Standard Cabin with Queen Bed (LEFT) & Twin Bed (RIGHT)

Upper Deck Cabin (LEFT) & Bathroom

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General Facilities

M/V Discovery Palawan Boat Features

• Air conditioned salon
• Air-conditioned camera room
• Sundeck
• Shaded dining deck
• Separate shaded bar deck

M/V Discovery Palawan Dive Facilities

• Tanks 80cu and 100cu
• Compressors
• 3 chase boats
• Nitrox available
• Medical oxygen onboard
• Complete rental equipment

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M/V Discovery Palawan Liveaboard Deck Plan

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Schedule, Rates & Live Availability 

M/V Discovery Palawan Schedule, Rates & Live Availability

Prices are in USD, per person. Mandatory park fee of USD110.00 per person and Fuel Surcharge of USD100.00 per person.

See also: Inclusions & Exclusions 

Other Dates & Availability

For more information on other departure dates that are not listed above and on availability email us at bookings@bluewaterdivetravel.com or call us at +1-310-915-6677 and we will gladly help you plan your dream dive vacation!

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Dive Information & Itineraries

Apo Reef - Coron Overview

Apo Reef - Apo Reef Natural Park is actually the 2nd biggest contiguous coral reef in the world after the Great Barrier Reef. 385 species of fish and approx 400 species of soft and hard corals make their home on this massive reef system. There is a shallow wreck completely covered with soft corals on the eastern tip. Coral covered slopes and vertiginous walls are patrolled by sharks, rays and other pelagic fishes such as tuna, mackerel and shoals of fusiliers. 

During the winter months, there is a good possibility of seeing hammerhead sharks off the North Wall of Apo Mayor, the biggest island where the park rangers are stationed. There is also a lighthouse for guests to climb to get a 360-degree view of the ocean and island. The shallow reefs in front of the ranger station to the lighthouse is a wonderful night dive. The South Point is a good place to hang out to see fish action. 

Apo Menor, the smaller of the 2 islands, is a favourite place for spotting schooling bumphead parrotfish.

Coron - Located n the southern side of Busuanga Island off the northern tip of the province of Palawan, divers come to Coron for 3 reasons: wrecks, wrecks and more wrecks. This is the Philippine version of Truk lagoon. 12 dive-able Japanese wrecks are available in the vicinity- victims of a fierce bombing run from the fleet of Adm William Halsey.

Favorite dives include the Sangat Wreck, Olympia Maru, Akitsushima and the Irako. The wrecks are now covered with corals both hard and soft and armaments such as machine guns can still be found. 

Not only are these wrecks now part of national heritage and top tourist attraction, but they also act as fish nurseries and fish aggregating devices, as evidenced by the number of both food fish such as lapu lapu (groupers) and dalagang bukid (fusiliers)that can be found on the wrecks in great numbers. Lovely schools of friendly batfish have likewise taken up residen here as well as scorpion and crocodile fish.

Barracuda Lake - Barracuda Lake gets its name from the lone barracuda that used to inhabit the lake and is accessible only after a short stair climb built over sharp pinnacles and open to scuba divers only. The effort is well worth it as the underwater topography is spectacular as divers can swim in between pinnacle and peaks of limestone. That the waters come from an underground, thermal source, is unmistakable—the deeper one dives, the hotter it gets. 

On the Southeastern side of Coron lies Gunther’s Cathedral, a cavern half-filled with water and accessible only through an underwater tunnel where divers can surface to find a cathedral illuminated with shafts of sunlight coming in through the roof.

Apo Reef Coron Sample Itinerary (7D/6N - 14 Dives)

• Day 01 - Embarkation in Bauan Port, Batangas between 1 - 3 pm
• Day 02 - Apo Reef (3 dives)
• Day 03 - Barracuda Lake - Siete Pecados (7 islands) - Maquinit Hot Spring - Kayangan Lake (3 dives)
• Day 04 - Sangat & Culion Islands (3 dives) 
• Day 05 - Calambuyan & North Cay Islands  (3-4 dives)
• Day 06 - Club Paradise, Dimakya Island (2 dives)
• Day 07 - Disembarkation in Bauan Port, Batangas approximately 11am - 12nn 

Tubbataha Overview

No doubt the crown jewel of Philippine diving, Tubbataha is the only Asian UNESCO World heritage site that is marine in nature. Although open year-round, the short weather window between late march to mid-June is the only time the park is accessible to divers. This park is guarded by armed rangers 24/7 and year-round.  As a result, visitors can expect to see pristine reefs, mantas, schools of fish, turtles, mantas, and whale sharks. 

Giant Sea fans, refrigerator-sized barrel sponges and delicate soft corals turn the vertiginous walls into hanging gardens. Invertebrates, sponges crustaceans make the walls look like a master's mural canvas. 

Highlights of this cruise include Shark Airport, which is the reef edge containing coral bommies and sandy patches where white tip sharks can be found lying in the sand, like planes at an airport. Schools of surgeonfish and snappers likewise inhabit the reef top.

Requirement: Divers must have at least 50 logged dives due to safety reasons. 

Tubbataha Regular Itinerary (7D/6N - 19 Dives)

• Day 01 - Embarkation in Puerto Princesa Port, between 2 - 4pm
• Day 02 - 4 dives in TRNP (Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park) 
• Day 03 - 4 dives in TRNP 
• Day 04 - 4 dives in TRNP 
• Day 05 - 4 dives in TRNP
• Day 06 - 3 dives in TRNP (no night dive)
• Day 07 - Disembarkation in Puerto Princesa Port after breakfast, 8am onwards  

 CEBU - MALAPASCUA - VISAYAS Overview

The Visayas region in the Philippines consists of several thousand islands. As a result, the majority of the Philippine dive destinations can be found here. We have chosen the best of these dive sites to make up an exciting trip that includes sea fan adorned walls, colorful reefs, superb macro and thresher sharks, manta rays and whale sharks. Here are the highlights: 

Our first stop is the beautiful Kalanggaman. The first dive will be a checkout dive before exploring its rich walls and reefs. Guests will have a chance to lie on the beach and enjoy the tropical beach island paradise. After the second dive, we will be moving the ship to Monad shoal in Malapascua to do an afternoon dive at the manta cleaning station. 

2 morning dives on Monad shoal to look for thresher sharks are in store and an afternoon and night we will move to Gato island where we will be doing an afternoon and night dive.

A 30-meter long tunnel cuts through the small island at a depth of only 12 meters. You will definitely need a torch to light up your way and watch the walls come alive with different crustaceans, sponges and colorful Tubastrea coral which bloom yellow during the night dive. Outside, you can find bommies covered in pastel shades of yellow and orange soft corals. Various species of nudibranchs including the famous Spanish dancer can be found here.

CEBU - MALAPASCUA - VISAYAS Itinerary (7D/6N - 15 Dives)

• Day 01 - Embarkation in Cebu Yacht Club between 2 - 4pm
• Day 02 - Kalanggaman (3 dives)
• Day 03 - Monad Shoal / Malapascua / Gato (3 dives)
• Day 04 - Pescador Island & Moal Boal  (3 dives)
• Day 05 - Oslob & Sumilon (3 dives)
• Day 06 - Cabilao Island (3 dives)
• Day 07 - Disembarkation in Cebu Yacht Club between 8 - 10 am

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Other Information

 Boat Specifications

• Number of crew: 20 - 32
• Length overall: 49.20 meters
• Width overall: 8.50 meters
• Draft: 3.20 meters
• Tonnage: 539 tons (gross), 161 tons (net)
• Maximum cruising speed: 10 knots
• Electricity: 220 V
• Class Registry: Lloyds Registered

Practical Information

• Time Zone: UTC+8
• Local Currency: PHP (Philippines Peso)
• Language Spoken: Filipino & English
• Electricity: 220V
• Payment Onboard: Cash

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Underwater Gallery 

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