As far as you can see in any direction there's nothing but blue. Bright blue sky and deep blue sea. It feels like the middle of nowhere but it's actually the Tubbataha Marine Park in the Sulu Sea in the far west of the Philippines.

Tubbataha is a long way from anywhere – 181 kilometres southeast of the island of Palawan – but divers will find this region a unique scuba experience. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1993, which is reassuring as so much of this isolated ecosystem is in good condition. At certain times of year, the reef tops take a battering from storms but monitoring by various conservation bodies has found fish populations are on the increase. The presence of rangers assist in restricting illegal fishing practices while the remoteness no doubt helps protects Tubbataha from the ravages of man-made problems.

This is also one of the few areas in the Philippines where encounters with large species, like reef sharks, mantas and turtles are frequent.