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Dive Review of MV Infiniti in
Philippines/Tubbataha Reefs, Palawan

MV Infiniti : "High class liveaboard, quality diving in Tubbataha.", Apr, 2019,

by Phil Johnston, Bayswater, AU (Sr. Contributor Sr. Contributor 25 reports with 23 Helpful votes). Report 10912 has 3 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Prior to this trip I rated the old Undersea Hunter in Cocos Island as being the best live aboard I have experienced, the Infiniti was its equal. The Infiniti is quite large, taking a maximum of 23 divers, however cabins were quite roomy & main salon was large enough to accommodate all 23 passengers at once. Cabin & dive staff were uniformly helpful, food was consistently high quality. I couldn't fault the vessel or crew in any way. Underwater photographers may however want more space on the dive deck, & the fresh water camera rinse tank was a plastic bin on the floor rather than a waist level tank. Diving was uniformly good to excellent, many areas of healthy unbleached hard corals & the best small tropical fish life I have seen to date in 35 years of diving. A surprisingly large number of pelagics (mainly dog tooth tuna) & reef sharks (grey & whitetip) were seen, which is testament to the effectiveness of the protection that the Tubbataha area has received. A single 20 foot whale shark was seen, at Delsan Reef.
All guests are required to pay a US$100 park fee, & this does seem to be used for its proper role of park protection. I had heard that currents could be strong in this area, but I didn't experience anything too concerning.
My only concern regarding the diving operations was that most dives commenced as deeper wall dives, with the shallows being entered only towards the end of the dives. I'm aware the crew is probably responding to guest requests for opportunities to see whalesharks, pelagics, mantas & sharks "in the blue" but we rarely saw anything & my preference was to experience the vibrant colors & exceptional tropical fish life in the top 10-15 meters along the reef flats.
This year is the Infiniti's first season at Tubbataha, however their local knowledge seemed to be very sound. Fave dive sites were Wall Street & Black Rock reefs for beautiful hard coral reefs, & Shark Airport for good shark life & sitings of tuna strikes at the edge of the drop off. If you're intending a visit to Tubbataha I'd have no hesitation in recommending the Infiniti.
Websites MV Infiniti   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Australia, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Indonesia/Bali, Cocos Islands, Mexico (Cozumel & Soccorros) Tonga, Galapagos, Tahiti, Maldives, Mozambique, Bahamas, Red Sea, Roatan, Philippines, Hawaii (Kona, Maui)
Closest Airport Puerto Princesa Getting There Flew in from Manila, fairly regular flights during the day. Not aware of any direct flights from overseas airports.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny Seas calm
Water Temp 26-28°C / 79-82°F Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 20-25 M / 66-82 Ft

Dive Policy

Dive own profile no
Enforced diving restrictions The usual, no deco diving etc. Dive lengths were adjusted during the day eg 1st dive 60 minutes, 2nd dive 50 mins, 3rd 45 mins, 4th dive 40 mins.
Liveaboard? yes Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks 1 or 2
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 5 stars
Small Critters 2 stars Large Fish 3 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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