Green sea turtle

Photo: Michele Chiacchio · © all rights reserved

Green sea turtles are ubiquitous on the South Atoll, feeding on seagrass and algae in the shallows and resting on coral heads between dives. Tubbataha's no-take status has allowed turtle populations to recover noticeably over the park's 30-year history. Nesting turtles haul onto the low-lying sand cays of the atoll between March and June, overlapping perfectly with the liveaboard season, giving divers a rare chance to see nesting activity from a respectful distance. Endangered globally.