The water is—in the words of Yvette Lee, Discovery Fleet Philippines VP for operations, director of marketing and media affairs, and a published underwater photographer—“parang taho,” smooth and glassy and with nary a ripple, reflecting the sky with absolute clarity. Tubbataha is alive and well, indeed. As Songco exclaims after we surface from one magical dive: “This is what makes all the hard work worthwhile.”

Honasan, A. (2017, June 17). Adventures with Tubbataha’s mama ranger. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. C4.