DIVE Magazine

Philippine Siren 2 liveaboard runs aground in Tubbataha

The Philippine Coast Guard reports that the liveaboard Philippine Siren 2 has been grounded in Tubbataha Reefs National Park

Well,

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dived Siren fleet 2006 with their first own designed/built boat together wit the owner in Andaman Islands/India. Again several times later on differnt destinations, last time Tubbataha with P. Siren in 2023. Loved their concept in the beginning. But the company has changed a lot. I also missed one trip in Timor with them due to loss of the liveaboard short before departure. As far as I know they lost all of their original boats except Palau Siren (which has already run aground in the past). From my point of view too many accidents with liveaboards these days. May be more liveaboards----more accidents. I do liveaboards since 1992 but current I'm feeling a bit unwell booking next trip.

Br Markus

2 hours ago, Muellema said:

From my point of view too many accidents with liveaboards these days. May be more liveaboards----more accidents. I do liveaboards since 1992 but current I'm feeling a bit unwell booking next trip.

Br Markus

Totally agree. There seems to be one every few weeks.

Not the first time on that reef either. I was on board the Eco Explorer out there in 2006 and had a fabulous week. It went aground the following week. I believe it never returned to service after the accident.

How often do boats 'nudge' the reef without becoming stuck and without any official report? In my experience, it is not unusual. Even for a highly skilled boat captain, there is always an element of randomness in the behaviour of the boat.

Then we have to admit that boats are under commercial pressure to give us divers the perfect drop off to start a dive and then have to pick up the those who ignore instructions and surface too close to the reef or do not swim out after surfacing or limit the captains ability to manoeuvre by swimming into danger areas such as by the propeller before being given the all clear by the crew.

Whilst captains bear ultimate responsibility for their boat, divers often do not help them to realize that responsibility.

17 hours ago, John Liddiard said:

How often do boats 'nudge' the reef without becoming stuck and without any official report? In my experience, it is not unusual. Even for a highly skilled boat captain, there is always an element of randomness in the behaviour of the boat.

Then we have to admit that boats are under commercial pressure to give us divers the perfect drop off to start a dive and then have to pick up the those who ignore instructions and surface too close to the reef or do not swim out after surfacing or limit the captains ability to manoeuvre by swimming into danger areas such as by the propeller before being given the all clear by the crew.

Whilst captains bear ultimate responsibility for their boat, divers often do not help them to realize that responsibility.

True, but in a lot of locales liveaboard ops use dinghies/RIBs for entries, specifically to be more precise with the drops and to avoid bringing the main vessel close to the reef. More manoeuvrable, more reactive in an emergency, etc.
It was a major issue in Thailand's Similans and Surins NP, for instance, but park regulations were amended to make "big boat drops" illegal a few years back.
Indonesia is mostly dinghies, and in the Maldives dhoni drops (though these can be quite large) are common, for instance.
Not sure what how it's done in Tubbataha.

Edited 7 hours ago7 hr by bghazzal