North Atoll Wall
Tubbataha Reefs · Philippines
The northern face of Tubbataha's North Atoll drops sheer from 5 m to beyond 60 m in a near-vertical wall draped in sea fans, black coral, and soft corals. Strong upwellings push nutrient-rich water up the wall, attracting dense schools of jacks and fusiliers that in turn draw scalloped hammerheads — sometimes in groups of a dozen — patrolling just off the drop-off. Dogtooth tuna and rainbow runners sweep past in the blue, while grey reef sharks hold position in the current below the wall's edge.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 50 m
Advanced depths
Current
Often strong
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 15 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 10 | 25 | 25 | 20 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Strong | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Bigeye trevally
Last confirmed Jun 6, 2025 · 6 records
Very likely
Most dives
Grey reef shark
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Dogtooth tuna
Last confirmed Jun 6, 2025 · 7 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Denise'S Pygmy Seahorse
Last confirmed May 27, 2026 · 2 records
Rare
Now and then
Gilded Triggerfish
Last confirmed May 29, 2026 · 1 records
Rare
Now and then
Whitetip Reef Shark
Last confirmed May 18, 2026 · 1 records
Rare
Now and then
Reef Manta Ray
Last confirmed May 18, 2024 · 1 records
Rare
Now and then
Scalloped hammerhead shark
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear