12 Night Philippine Adventure

7 Nights Azores Tubbataha - 5 Nights Atlantis Dumaguete

On this fabulous trip we will be visiting two different locations to experience the very best of the Philippines. 

May 6th thru 18th

Azores Tubbataha

Our first stop on this Philippine adventure will be aboard the Atlantis Azores liveaboard.  This beautiful 107 foot aluminum monohull will be our home for 7 nights where we will explore some of the best diving in the world in the Sulu Sea at the center of the Coral Triangle between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.  Rarely visited due to its location and its status as a marine preserve, Tubbataha is made up of two reefs, simply referred to as the North and South Reefs. The North and South Reefs both enclose a sandy lagoon. On the southern tip is an islet with a lighthouse used as a rookery for birds and is frequented by turtles.  Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to no less than 573 species of fish, 373 species of corals, 11 species of sharks, 12 species of dolphins and whales, nestling hawksbill and green sea turtles.  A veritable splendure of ocean perfection - these 7 days will be incredible.

Dumaguete

We finish our south seas adventure in Dumaguete - the frogfish capital of the Philippines.  Dumaguete, with its black volcanic sandy beaches, offers divers a great opportunity to see unique macro marine life on sandy patches, hard coral reefs, and artificial reefs (including cars, various structures, and more!).  And most dive sites are a mere minutes from the resort.  From Dumaguete, we can dive over 20 coastal dive sites, the healthy reefs around Apo Island with over 400 documented species of corals (that’s 65% of the world’s corals!), the vibrant walls of Siquijor, and snorkeling with whale sharks in Oslob!

Dumaguete resort has a dive shop with first class facilities including camera facilities, hot water showers, air - nitrox - or trimix fills, and valet dive services. 

Join us for this epic 2024 adventure

Package Includes:

A dual location stay at both the Azores Tubbataha and Dumaguete.

Included at the Azores Tubbataha:

• - 7 deluxe staterooms and 1 Owners Suite, all meals & snacks, local soft drinks, diving (up to 5 dives per day including night diving - night dives are subject to conditions), tanks & weights, air fills, social servings of local beer & rum and social servings of wine with dinner.
• - Transfers to/from Manila and Puerto Princessa

Not included at the Azores Tubbataha:

• - Unlimited Nitrox is $214.00. Nitrox is charged individually on the guests Azores bill
• - Marine Park Fee - $137.00 Marine Park fees are charged individually on the guests Azores bill. (Marine Park Fee is subject to change)
• - Equipment Rental, onboard purchases, classes, and emergency fuel surcharges, if needed

Included at the Dumaguete:

• - All meals at Toko's Restaurant
• - Coffee, hot tea, iced tea and filtered water are complimentary throughout the day
• - Unlimited scheduled boat diving (up to 5 dives a day including night diving; excludes equipment rental, dawn dives, additional day trips)
• - Apo Island Day Trip
• - Unlimited internet access

Not included at the Dumaguete:

• - Unlimited Nitrox $146.00. Nitrox is charged individually on the guest’s resort bill
• - The marine park fees are approximately $123.00. Guests pay these fees at the resort on their personal bill at check-out. These fees are set by local municipalities and can change at any time
• - You can purchase additional day trips to Apo or Sumillon for $120.00. A day trip to the whale sharks at Oslob is $138.00. Rates are subject to change

Terms

$7600+

(Per person based on double occupancy)

$2500 to hold a space
another
$2500 due July 1, 2023
You must arrive in country by May 5th

Single supplement additional $3500
Non-diver rate $5500 per person
Owners’ suite on Azores are an additional $500 per person

Dumaguete Upgrades:

(5-night rate, based on availability)

• - FREE upgrade to Garden Suite accommodations, Double Occupancy
• - Ocean Front, Double Occupancy $176.00
• - Ocean Front, Single Occupancy $788.00
• - Suite, Double Occupancy $176.00 - Free Upgrade Subject to Availability
• - Suite, Single Occupancy $788.00
• - Two Bedroom Suite, Double Occupancy $454.00
• - Two Bedroom Suite, Single Occupancy $1,388.00

To Sign up,

February 20 thru March 4

For this excursion, we go with a purpose to the rich and cold waters of the other end of the world. Along with Michael and Diana Hollingshead, we will join Faith Ortins and Blue Green Expeditions, other polar diving specialists, imagemakers, and scientists on an amazing citizen science expedition to Antarctica! This Polar Circle and Antarctic Peninsula expedition will take us south of Antarctica, crossing the Polar Circe. We will pass through waters traveled by whales, anchoring in various spots around the region. This expedition offers a chance to hike and dive in the iceberg-heavy waters of the last continent.

February 2024 represents the 150th anniversary of HMS Challenger’s crossing of the southern polar circle. Modern oceanography began with the HMS Challenger Expedition between 1872 and 1876. It was the first expedition organized specifically to gather data on a wide range of ocean features; including ocean temperatures, seawater chemistry, currents, marine life, and the geology of the seafloor. A crew of 200 and 20 naval officers supported six scientists from varying disciplines – naturalists, chemists, physicists and even an artist to chronicle the voyage and its discoveries. Within their four year journey they covered 127,000 km and the information they gathered is still used by scientists today.

Our expedition is to honor their contribution to understanding of the world’s oceans while simultaneously exploring Antarctica. This adventure is much more than just a dive trip. If you join us, we will pool our resources and time to assist scientists and imagemakers in adding to our understanding of the Antarctic region - as well as experiencing our own adventure – in Antarctica!.

There are 7 Goals of This Voyage

• 1. Top generate $150,000 in donations for organizations dedicated to developing interest in marine careers such as Our World Underwater Scholarship Society (OWUS) and the American Academy of Underwater Sciences Foundation (AAUS). These entities foster training and educational opportunities for young people interested in scientific pursuits as it relates to the ocean.

• 2. To contribute ~$22,000 to carbon offsets to minimize the environmental impact of the expedition’s carbon footprint.

• 3. To use the images/video from the professionals and data collected by the citizen scientists to develop multimedia educational tools for use across a variety of platforms, including live streaming to classrooms.

• 4. To recognize the significance of Challenger’s contribution to oceanography and its relevance to today, especially as it relates to the study of climate change.

• 5. To bring imagemakers to Antarctica whose combined efforts will actively contribute to greater appreciation and understanding of the delicate Antarctic ecosystem.

• 6. To use the expertise of the scientists on board to explore new areas above and below the water with the assistance of citizen scientists. These projects include plankton tows, reef surveys of key indicator species, sample collections, and marine mammal identification.

• 7. Lastly, to enjoy the travel, memories, and an event of a lifetime.

The Route

End of the World, Start of a Journey
– Embarking from Tierra del Fuego, Ushuaia, Argentina

Path of the Polar Explores
– Two days on the Drake Passage

Palmer Science Station
– A potential visit to functioning science station

Entering Antarctica ~ The intended route for your Antarctic adventure includes:
– Cuverville Island
– Neko Harbour – Opportunities for a Zodiac cruise and landing
– Paradise Bay – A potential Zodiac cruise before sailing to the Lemaire Channel

Through the Gullet ~ Possibilities include:
– Pourquoi Pas Island
– Known for its tight fjords and lofty, glacier-crowded mountains
– Horseshoe Island
– The location of the former British Base Y
– Stonington Island – Former US East Base and British Base E, and the southernmost landing site of the trip – 68° south
– Hanusse Bay – A chance of spotting whales through the icebergs of this scenic bay

The Whales of Crystal Sound – Humpback whales, unimaginable views, birdlife, Adélie penguins congregating among the icebergs, possible Zodiac cruise or even a landing

Familiar Seas, Familiar Friends – Crossing the Drake There and Back Again

Diving Details 

Water temperature: <32F
Air temperature: 30-45F
Depths to 80 feet
Cold water with good to great visibility
Icebergs  

This Trip Package Includes:

• – Accommodations aboard the m/v Ortelius, part of the Oceanwide Expeditions polar fleet
• – All meals aboard the ship
• – 1-2 dives a day including tanks and weights
• – As this will be a citizen science-oriented trip, the ship will have extra staff on board to ensure a great experience
• – The Expedition will be led by Faith Ortins and other polar diving experts
• – Photography, historical, ecological, and scientific presentations
• – Hotel stay in Ushuaia, Argentina on February 20, 2022 – the night before the ship leaves. It is important to get there early in case luggage gets delayed

Not Included in the Trip:

• – Airfare
• – Extra hotel nights if required for flight schedules
• – Fuel surcharges
• – Alcohol and on board any beverage other than coffee and tea
• – Transfers to the airport in Ushuaia to and the host hotel
• – Gratuities, laundry, and other personal expenses
• – Dive and travel insurance are required
• – Trip insurance is highly recommended
• – Any required Covid 19 tests / Covid insurance

Diver Requirements:

• – Your dive certification cards
• – Proof of dive insurance
• – You must be a certified drysuit diver with a drysuit
• – Cold water exposure protection
• – Cold water diving experience
• – You must have a minimum of 50 drysuit dives, 20 in cold water
• – All your own diving gear. Tanks and weights will be provided
• – The diving configuration requires 2 DIN first stages, each with a cold-water second stage
• – A spirit of adventure

Terms - Pricing and Payment Schedule

The cabin-based pricing is per person, based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted. At the time of booking, you will be asked to select a cabin type. Your final price is based upon your cabin selection.

all prices in US dollars

Pricing Details

• – There are a variety of cabins on the m/v Ortelius, part of the Oceanwide Expeditions polar fleet, and the trip price is dependent on the cabin selected
• – The hotel in Ushuaia is based upon double occupancy
• – All pricing is quoted in US Dollars
• – Pricing is per person, and is based on the class of cabin selected, and is based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted

Given the advanced nature of this expedition all divers must be approved by Blue Green Expeditions before a reservation for this expedition will be confirmed. Once a diver submits a booking request for this expedition the request will be reviewed by the Blue Green Expedition staff. If approved, an email will be sent informing that a deposit payment is due with a link to the payment site. The deposit must be paid within 30 calendar days or the reservation will be subject to cancellation. The approval email will contain a button which permits future incremental payments. 

Payment Schedule

• – A nonrefundable deposit of $2,000 USD per person is due upon booking
• – At the time of booking, you will be asked to select a cabin type
• – A 2nd payment of $2,000 USD per person is due August 1, 2022
• – A 3rd payment of $3,000 USD per person is due June 1, 2023
• – The remaining balance is due October 15, 2023

Restrictions

• – Aerial and submersible drones are not approved for this expedition
• – Rebreathers are not approved for this expedition
• – Nitrox and argon are not available for this expedition

To reserve your spot,