Tubbataha trip report

[jefffalcone]

Came across this post and found it very interesting, i note that the thread is a year old (MARCH 2008) and has been brought up again (not sure why), thought i should reply as i know Stella Maris very very well as i am the current Boat Manager on Stella Maris and i can assure you Stella Maris 2009 is in great working order and the current Tubbataha season is going well with some awesome diving being had, (some of the photos we have should be in magazines) its a shame you had a bad trip back in 2008 Jeff. Sorry about that but please refer to any comments about your trip here as (March 2008) so people know your talking about a previous season... If anyone is thinking of Joining Stella Maris Explorer this season, please do, the diving is great, the boat is in great shape and I as the Current Boat Manager of Stella Maris will endeavour to make sure you have a great time. Just for the record Jeff, if you come back i will take you to a manta cleaning station on the shark airport. ....... Safe Diving Everyone

By "came across this post" do you mean joined this forum just to respond to negative publicity your company has been recieving?

You know, I wish the thread would die too. Some people seem to taken offense to my honesty. I'm not bitter enough to keep this up, but I feel obligated to respond to posts directed towards me.

What happened to last year's boat manager?

Unfortunately the company you work for has a history of mismanagement and irresponsible behavior. I am glad to hear that you are doing a better job than the last guy. Once again, I don't really blame the boat manager. He was clearly trying to do the best he could, but he was arogant and unqualified. He could have delt with his lack of experience, if he was humble enough to ask for help.

And just to be clear, Tubataha is such an amazing place that it would be impossible to have a bad trip. It just wasn't nearly as good as it should have been.

 

[bill22]

Just dived Tubbataha aboard the Borneo Explorer (also Expedition Fleet) and had a great experience... Left Puerto Princesa on April 19th and came back on the 26th. The crew was very knowlegeable and experienced about Tubbataha. Although we had to make to make some adjustments due to weather, I have no complaints. The weather is just one of those things that is impossible to predict. Saw tons of sharks, great corals, schools of jacks, and barracudas. We did one blue water dive to try for a hammerhead sighting and within 5 minutes, not one but 2 hammerheads showed up and circled us!

I'll be posting a trip report when I get home. I've been here in the Philippines almost 3 weeks, so it will take a little time. I have started working on it and the photos though (brought a laptop this time ;-)) In Manila for a couple of days before heading home.

Edit: Just went back and read more of the thread (I need to start doing that more ).... Perhaps the "negative" publicity encouraged Expedition Fleet to clean up their act?

As I said, I had a great experience. Maybe I was lucky because I did get a very experienced crew.

@WWD The policy (which was part of the brief when we came onboard) was to hold all waste until a return to Puerto Princesa. I saw nothing to make me believe that they didn't adhere to that. Again, maybe the "negative" publicity has resulted in more careful adherence to the rules...

 

[jefffalcone]

To be fair, I should say that I was briefed on the same policy reguarding waste, and I saw no evidence that they didn't adhere to the policy either.

Hopefully the littering that the other poster observed was an isolated insident. I saw no evidence to the contrary.

 

[CODMAN]

Just to recall what was said in this Thread "catfight", it was stated that the garbage was dumped in view of dangerous conditions for safety reasons.

Was this the case? I don't know. But I do know that invariably safety takes precedence on environmental laws. So if true, the garbage was dumped for a good reason. Not because they don't give a damn about the reef.

Once again, there is now way of knowing what really happened. It's a he says/ She says situation...

By the way, I've much rather this internet crusade end so we can read some interesting posts like the one Bill22 made and hopefully soon a trip report!

 

[aquaticchess]

I am proud of Stella Maris Explorer, great boat in great shape and 2009 on Tubbataha is turning out to be good season.
WWD. I am not Axele and i dont know of her, first i heard the name was in here, Please understand i cant comment cause i wasnt there and i dont know anything about it, i can say as the current boat manager the policy is that not even one cigarette butt is to leave Stella Maris Explorer and i adhere to it, i noticed bttmdwllr has responded in another thread to you and you should discuss it in there.
Please, no more questions about things i know nothing about, i wont reply to this thread again.
This thread started in March 2008, it was unfortunate that jeff had a bad trip and i just wanted to say if anyone is thinking of Joining Stella Maris Explorer 2009 this season, please do, the diving is great, the boat is in great shape and I as the Current Boat Manager of Stella Maris will endeavour to make sure you have a great time. Save Diving Everyone..

 

[AquaDiving1234]

Hi,

I also just got back not too long ago aboard the Stella Maris.
I think it was the boat manager's 6th trip out, Aussie bloke.
Same observation as you Jeff, he didnt really know the sites, wrong currents, etc.
Admit he was trying his best, but Expedition should really keep some local divers....
The live aboard experience was good though..

Cheers

 

[bttmdwllr]

A glass can always be seen as half empty of half full..it depends on who is looking at it. The Boat Managers as well as I can holler from the rooftops as to how great the trips can be but people will say we are doing it because we work for Expedition Fleet. So here is my offer:

EVERY ONE is welcome to go through all of our customer comment sheets that we collect after every trip...there ARE complaints but WE DO take note of these and fix it as fast as we can but as you will see 98-99% of the guests WILL take a repeat trip on our other destinations. Throwing of garbage overboard has never been the policy of the fleet.

As far as currents in Tubbataha, the reef is very very broad, and unlike, say Apo Island, where depending on the season, the current moves north to South, the waves hit certain parts of the reef broadside...you can in some instances ride the same place back and forth like I did in Basterra once. That is why we have instructed the guides to check the currents before letting the group jump in but even then it can switch.

Sipadan is called the Disneyland of diving---currents are predictable and so are the animals you will see. Someone described Tubbataha as the Africa of Diving, it is still wild, untamed and the most you can expect? The unexpected.

 

[bill22]

.... As far as currents in Tubbataha, the reef is very very broad, and unlike, say Apo Island, where depending on the season, the current moves north to South, the waves hit certain parts of the reef broadside...you can in some instances ride the same place back and forth like I did in Basterra once. That is why we have instructed the guides to check the currents before letting the group jump in but even then it can switch.

Sipadan is called the Disneyland of diving---currents are predictable and so are the animals you will see. Someone described Tubbataha as the Africa of Diving, it is still wild, untamed and the most you can expect? The unexpected.

This is certainly true... We were all briefed that the currents could change and it was not unusual that they did

I remember one dive that the current changed twice (reversed) during the same dive

I commented to the guide afterwards that must be why they called the site "Washing Machine" cause I felt like I was getting run through a washer during the dive

 

[wicked_innit]

sorry but i dont want to add fuel to the fire but can someone please help to recommend a decent LOB for Tubbataha? am planning for 2010.

how about these people? Boat Safari Tubbataha . I dont see any bitching about them (but there is always a first!)

Judging from the comments from previous posts, i believe the ExpeditionFleet and Scubaworld are not deserving of my buck if i have only a 50% chance of getting a decent divemaster/manager not to mention the dives themselves. 50% for weather and 50% for experienced staff. Not good odds eh?

which is the best month to dive there? (looks like MAR-APR)

Yes Sipadan (my holy grail every 2yrs) is amazing and virtually guaranteed . I usually go with SMART(Mabul) or Kapalai Resorts ($ but bloody good) or Sipadan Scuba (value) depending on whether the missus comes with me!

Regards, a non-Celebrity

 

[bill22]

Never heard of them.... most of the complaints I saw here are from previous years.... like I said in my previous post, at least for now Borneo Explorer has a very experienced crew. (They were just featured in Sport Diver Magazine.) I'm told that May-June is the best time to dive, but you're getting into typhoon season then. Bottom line on that is that we can't control the weather (yet)