CNN says 2 Philippine dive sites are among world’s best

Two destinations in the Philippines are among the best in the world, according to the travel news website of the Cable News Network (CNN).

The Tubbataha reef, located southeast of Palawan, ranked eighth on CNNGo’s list of best dive sites in the world.

“Super-size your dive experience at Tubbataha, where everything comes in giant form. The main advantage to diving at Tubbataha is that the water is exceptionally clean, so the marine life lives much longer, making it grow to silly proportions,” the website said.

“Expect kaleidoscopic colors combined with guitar sharks, black tip reef sharks, nurse sharks, gliding blue-spotted lagoon rays, unicorns, boxfish, scorpion fish and more,” it added.

Another dive site in the Philippines that made it to CNNGo’s list is The Canyons in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, which ranked 45th.

The Canyons in Puerto Galera

“Schools of spotted and ribbon sweetlips, shiny trevallies and weird-looking batfish make up the scene at this first-rate dive site. There’s also an explosion of coral and plant life including beautiful delicate gorgonian sea fans and hollow barrel sponges; look inside for critters lurking within,” the website said about The Canyons.

Topping CNNGo’s list of 50 best dive spots in the world is Barracuda Point in Malaysia’s Sipadan island, followed by Yongala in Queensland, Australia and SS Thistlegorm in Red Sea, Egypt.

Earlier this year, CNNGo recognized Siargao, a teardrop-shaped island in Surigao del Norte, as the eighth best surf spot in the world.

Manila, meanwhile, was hailed by the website as one of Asia’s greatest food cities.