Ode to the Sea: Tubbataha Reef at the Oceonographic Museum in Monaco

The treasures of Tubbataha Reef take the spotlight at Monaco’s splendid Oceanographic Museum

Nestled above the rocky cliffs overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco—with its elegant architectural details— is a jewel in the principality’s crown. When approached from the ocean, the Neo-Baroque palace, a striking example of the architectural style that became popular in France in the late 19th century, towers almost 300 feet above the ocean’s deep blue waters. It is a magnificent sight with giant sea urchin sculptures scattered across its stone steps, brushing against the waves.

Founded in the year 1910 by the modernist reformer Albert I (great grandfather of the reigning Prince Albert II), the museum is dedicated purely to Marine Sciences. The acclaimed explorer and filmmaker Jacques Cousteau was the museum’s director for three decades (1957-1988) and largely responsible for curating much of the museum’s contents. It houses an impressive 90-pool aquarium and the fascinating collections of the late Prince Albert I. The second floor salons are a veritable cabinet of curiosities showcasing thousands of natural history specimens; ethnographic pieces crafted from shells and mollusks and sea-related objects including model ships, tools and equipment from the late prince’s countless travels and sea explorations. In the west wing the Whale Room features sea mammal skeletons and a fabulous light and sound show.

Above Philippine Consul to Monaco Patricia Zobel de Ayala and HSH Prince Albert

Over the summer, The Oceanographic Museum was the majestic setting for the exhibit, “Tubbataha, the Philippines’ UNESCO Marine World Heritage Site” organised by Philippine Consul to Monaco Patricia Zobel de Ayala. The show featured 24 impressive photographs of the remarkable marine life within the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park shot by National Geographic photographers David Doubilet and Jennifer Hayes, and the award-winning photographer Maria Teresa “Tet” Lara.

I was filled with indescribable pride to see our Filipino flag waving alongside the flag of Monaco as I walked through the museum’s grand entrance on the opening night. More so when I stepped into the ground floor exhibition hall and auditorium where stunning large format, high-gloss images of sharks, manta rays, sea turtles, corals and endangered species from our Philippine oceans were mounted all across its walls.

Also making its debut that evening was a documentary film, Corail, Coeur de l’Océan (Coral, Heart of the Ocean) that chronicles highlights of HSH Prince Albert II’s expedition to Tubbataha and the island of Cagayancillo in the Philippines last year.

Above Façade of the Oceanographic Museum on opening night

The Prince, himself an avid adventurer and sea voyager just as his great grandfather had been, was guest of honour at the exhibit’s official opening festivities. Zobel de Ayala gave the welcome remarks to an audience consisting of the Monaguesque community, diplomats, conservationists and philanthropists. She paid tribute and dedicated the exhibit to the well-loved Dr. Stephen Zuellig, Consul General of the Philippines to Monaco who passed away in January of this year.

The CEO of the Oceanographic Institute Foundation Robert Calcagno also gave a short speech before the exhibit’s photographers were introduced and given an opportunity to describe their personal experiences of the awe-inspiring Tubbataha Reefs and the rare sea life that were the subjects of their photographs on show. Angelique Songco, Superintendent of the Tubbataha Reefs Protected Area, appealed to the audience to help protect and preserve the Marine World Heritage Site.

This first-ever event to generate awareness in the Principality of Monaco of our Philippine national seas and their underwater treasures was the result of the tireless work of Zobel de Ayala who is winding up her stint after 10 years as Honorary Consul of the Philippines in this sovereign city-state.

Above Tubbataha photographs grace the museum’s walls

The Prince and The Heart of the Ocean

The Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park is home to the richest coral reefs on the planet, with over 1000 species of marine life—many considered endangered. Located in the heart of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha’s remoteness and jaw-dropping atoll structures have allowed marine life to flourish. The park is the only purely marine UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southeast Asia. In spite of its isolated location, Tubbataha Reef has become a major diving location since it was first discovered in the late 1970s. One of its more recent visitors was none other than His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco, a strong advocate of marine environmental protection.

Above Impressive whale sculpture on the Oceanographic Museum’s roofdeck

“The Prince’s first visit to the country was in 1999, and it was a very positive experience for him,” explains Patricia Zobel de Ayala, Honorary Consul to Monaco. “Every time we would see each other in Monaco, the conversation would undoubtedly return to the Philippines. As I am an avid diver, I would talk to him often about Tubbataha, and invited him to visit.”

The Prince finally made his visit to the park on April 2016. The expedition involved two yachts, and it took the group 12 hours to reach Tubbataha from Puerto Princesa. “We were very lucky that the weather was good and the seas were flat,” says Zobel de Ayala, who added that the Prince was very comfortable being on a boat for eight days.“On the trip, he said that he would like to follow in Prince Albert I’s footsteps and continue the exploration of the seas,” says Zobel de Ayala. “He was very impressed with how healthy Tubbataha was as a reef, and he felt it was important to help protect marine sanctuaries like Tubbataha around the world.”

Above Robert Calcagno and members of the Zuellig family with HSH Prince Albert II and Consul Patricia Zobel de Ayala

The Prince’s expedition of Tubbataha and Cagayancillo was chronicled in a documentary entitled Corail, Coeur de l’Océan. The 26-minute film was shot with a 360-degree camera, immersing its viewers in the Prince’s experiences in Tubbataha, which were not limited to just diving, but also interacting with the locals and doing some conservation work.

“When the Sovereign engages in a cause, he always likes to do so with his own eyes,” director of the Oceanographic Institute in Monaco Robert Calcagno told Monaco-Matin, a daily newspaper in Monaco. Calagno joined the Prince in his expedition, which had the primary aim of fitting Argos beacons on two marine turtles as part of a conservation programme initiated by the Oceanographic Institute.

Marine turtles are threatened by accidental fishing, poaching, pollution and disruption of their nesting sites, and tagging these creatures allows scientists to understand their behaviour and learn how to better protect them. The tagged turtles, one green turtle and one hawksbill turtle, were dubbed Jacques and Gabriella, respectively, after the Prince’s children; both can now be tracked online via their GPS data.

Tatler Asia

Ode to the Sea: Tubbataha Reef at the Oceonographic Museum in Monaco

The Prince and The Heart of the Ocean