Calamian Islands
The Calamian Islands or the Calamianes is a group of islands in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It includes:
* Busuanga Island
* Coron Island
* Culion Island
* Calauit Island
* Malcapuya Island
* Banana Island
* Pass Island
* Calumbuyan Isl ...
in northern
Palawan
Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
Manila
Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...
and is known for several
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
s of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
vintage. Because of its unique ecological features, the entire area is protected by several legal proclamations.
The island and surrounding fishing grounds are part of the
ancestral domain
Ancestral domain or ancestral lands refers to the lands, territories and resources of indigenous peoples, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. The term differs from indigenous land rights, Aboriginal title or Native Title by directly indicat ...
of the indigenous
Tagbanwa people
The Tagbanwa people (Tagbanwa: ) are one of the oldest ethnic groups in the Philippines, and can be mainly found in the central and northern Palawan. Research has shown that the Tagbanwa are possible descendants of the Tabon Man, thus making th ...
, officially designated such on June 5, 1998. Known as Calis among the Tagbanwas and Coronians, its tribal chieftain is Rodolfo Aguilar I.
The island comprises two barangays of the municipality of Coron: Banuang Daan and Cabugao.
Geography
Partially between
Busuanga
Busuanga, officially the Municipality of Busuanga ( tgl, Bayan ng Busuanga), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 25,617 people.
History
Oral tradition has it ...
and
Culion
Culion, officially the Municipality of Culion ( tgl, Bayan ng Culion), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 23,213 people.
Culion consists primarily of Culion ...
islands, Coron Island faces the
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...
and forms the eastern side of
Coron Bay
Coron Bay is a well-known recreational diving region in the Sulu Sea in the western Philippines, between the islands of Coron and Busuanga in the Calamian Islands. Most of Coron Bay is in the Coron Island Protected Area and is a traditional fish ...
. It is about long from north to south, and at its widest point.
Part of the North Palawan Block, Coron Island is distinguished by its
Late Triassic
The Late Triassic is the third and final epoch (geology), epoch of the Triassic geologic time scale, Period in the geologic time scale, spanning the time between annum, Ma and Ma (million years ago). It is preceded by the Middle Triassic Epoch ...
Coron
Limestone
Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...
.
There are 11 lakes nestled in the rugged terrain, of which three have underground connections to the sea. There are a few
mangrove
A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. The term is also used for tropical coastal vegetation consisting of such species. Mangroves are taxonomically diverse, as a result of convergent evoluti ...
s in coastal areas.
Diving
The area around the wrecks has rock formations which provide for
snorkeling
Snorkeling ( British and Commonwealth English spelling: snorkelling) is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped breathing tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a ...
opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to . The water is often calm.
Coron is known for
wreck diving
Wreck diving is recreational diving where the wreckage of ships, aircraft and other artificial structures are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificia ...
Wreck dive sites are found in depths as shallow as and as deep as . Wreck diving sites in Coron Bay include the ''Akitsushima'', ''Irako'', ''Kogyo Maru'', ''Kyokuzan Maru'', ''Okikawa Maru'', ''Olympia Maru''.
Dive sites around Coron include many different reef dive sites and "Günter's Cave", also known as Cathedral Cave because during a certain time of the day, the sun throws a beam of light through a hole in the cave ceiling, illuminating the inside. It is possible to surface in the cave, as the hole in the cave-ceiling allows fresh air to enter. The cave is named after Günther Bernert, who was part of the first dive group to explore the cave, after hearing from local fishermen about its existence.
Other points of interest
Ecotourism has long surpassed diving as the top draw to Coron Island in the last decade. With domestic tourism on the rise due to a rapidly growing middle class, Coron is one of the top destinations for Filipinos to add to their wish list, with Coron Island containing some of the most iconic.
* Kayangan Lake
* Luluyuan "Barracuda" Lake
* Twin Lagoon
Gallery
Isola di coron, lago kayangan 02.jpg, Kayangan Lake, dubbed the cleanest lake in Asia
File:Coron Twin ragun(코론 트윈 라군) - panoramio (1).jpg, The Twin Lagoon in Coron Island
File:Isola di coron, lago barracuda, 05.jpg, Large rock formations at the Barracuda Lake
Isola di coron, spiaggia di banol 02.jpg, Banol beach on Coron Island
File:Isola di coron, vista dal mare 04.jpg, Coron Island rock formations
File:Stone islet in Coron, Palawan.JPG, A stone islet in Coron Island
File:Isola di coron, baia nei pressi del lago kayangan 05.jpg, The bay near Kayangan Lake
File:Waling-Waling Island.jpg, Waling-Waling Island