South Atoll wall drift with sharks and coral groupers
South Atoll wall drift with sharks and coral groupers
Park entry and the ranger-station stop are managed through permitted liveaboard operations.
A steep South Atoll wall with a shallow coral plateau above it, where mild current carries divers past healthy staghorn fields, coral groupers, and regular shark traffic. It is a strong choice for experienced divers who like a compact drift with a reef-top payoff.
Conservative baseline from public research. No community dives logged yet.
Depth range, seasonality, and planning context.
Reported Depth
3m - 15m
Depth Note
The public dive-guide profile starts on a shallow plateau and tops out at 15m, with the wall dropping away beyond that band.
Best Season
March-June dry season
Typical Conditions
Mild current along a steep wall with a shallow plateau, healthy staghorn fields, and regular shark sightings.
Hazards, restrictions, and access requirements.
Key Hazards
Safety Notes
A wall that drops into deep water plus sharks and current call for good buoyancy, tidy spacing, and attention to the drift line.
Access Restrictions
Liveaboard access only for dives; the ranger-station land stop is the usual permitted shore visit, and shore access elsewhere in the park is prohibited.
Legal Notes
Tubbataha entry is permit-controlled, daylight-only for diving, and managed through park-permitted operators.
Community notes to help plan your visit.
Scuba Diving
A drift-style scuba dive along the wall is the core experience, with stable buoyancy and close guide spacing paying off the most.
Freediving
Freediving is only realistic on the shallow plateau in very calm conditions; the wall and shark traffic are better suited to scuba.
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is limited to the shallow reef-top fringe and other calm, permitted shallows; the wall section is a scuba dive.
Species commonly reported at this site, with direct links into their wildlife guides.
Community dive logs and visit reports for this site.
Average conditions based on logged dives & visits.
Last Updated
Know this site? Improve Spot Details.

South Atoll staghorn plateau with sharks and rays

Lighthouse wall dive with coral and blue-water life

Triggerfish City is a reef-top drift site with triggerfish and a wall edge.

Advanced wreck-edge drift dive in Tubbataha