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Apo Island is a volcanic island covering 74
Extending approximately 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from north to south and 1 km (0.6 mi) from east to west, the island has a land area of approximately 74 hectares and rises to a height of 120 meters (390 feet) above sea level at its highest point. It can be reached by a 30-minute motorized boat ride from the village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.
"Apo Island, Philippines: Eco Tipping Point Case Study, EcoTippingPoint, 05/14/07"
. Coral Reef Alliance. Retrieved 2010-04-20. Since then, the project initiated on the island led to the creation of hundreds of other marine sanctuaries in the Philippines.
At present, the island is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals. Most of the Philippines' 450 species of coral can be found here, from tiny bubble corals to huge gorgonian sea fans and brain corals. Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there. These fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.
In 2003,
"2 RP sites make it to ‘must dive’ list "
. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2010-04-20. As of 2017, the fish sanctuary, at the southeastern part of the island was closed "temporarily" since 2014 for the reason of super typhoon Haiyan that has destroyed the shallow coral reef. This beach is indeed facing the ocean and is now banned from snorkelling and the place is now used to park fishing boats. Though the island is not a marine reserve, only the local population have the right to catch fish. The main advantages on the island is indeed the facilities for diving residing on the island (with tanks and compressors) and the protection of sea turtles where more than 60 are recorded, and an amazing diversity of soft and hard corals. In the north part of the island, currents offer exceptionally clear waters even during the planktonic season (December thru March) with a school of jacks, 13 barracudas, few groupers located near Coconut diving spot.
hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ...
s in land area, 7 kilometers off the southeastern tip of Negros Island
Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
and 30 kilometers south of the Negros Oriental
Negros Oriental ( ceb, Sidlakang Negros; tl, Silangang Negros), officially the Province of Negros Oriental, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region. Its capital is the city of Dumaguete. It occupies the southeaste ...
capital of Dumaguete
Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dumaguete; fil, Lungsod ng Dumaguete), is a 3rd income class component city and the capital of the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
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 ...
. The name "Apo" means "elder" or "respected ancestor" in the Visayan languages
The Bisayan languages or Visayan languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages spoken in the Philippines. They are most closely related to Tagalog and the Bikol languages, all of which are part of the Central Philippine languages. M ...
.
The marine habitat around the island is a marine reserve
A marine reserve is a type of marine protected area (MPA). An MPA is a section of the ocean where a government has placed limits on human activity. A marine reserve is a marine protected area in which removing or destroying natural or cultural ...
, protected by the National Integrated Protected Area Act (NIPA) and under the jurisdiction of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It has become a popular dive site
Recreational dive sites are specific places that recreational scuba divers go to enjoy the underwater environment or for training purposes. They include technical diving sites beyond the range generally accepted for recreational diving. In this c ...
and 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 ...
destination with tourists. There are two resorts on Apo Island, each with a dive center: Apo Island Beach Resort and Liberty's Lodge. There is also a ranger station and a lighthouse.
The island is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental, and is one of the municipality's 23 barangay
A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolita ...
s. As of the 2010 census, the island has a population of 918.
Geography and climate
Apo Island is located off the southeastern tip ofNegros Island
Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
, 7 kilometers from the town of Zamboanguita, and 25 kilometers south of the Negros Oriental capital Dumaguete
Dumaguete, officially the City of Dumaguete ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dumaguete; fil, Lungsod ng Dumaguete), is a 3rd income class component city and the capital of the province of Negros Oriental, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a p ...
.ApoIsland.com - About Apo IslandExtending approximately 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from north to south and 1 km (0.6 mi) from east to west, the island has a land area of approximately 74 hectares and rises to a height of 120 meters (390 feet) above sea level at its highest point. It can be reached by a 30-minute motorized boat ride from the village of Malatapay, Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental.
Marine sanctuary and tourism
Apo Island was a community-organized marine sanctuaries, and as such it has been well documented by the global science community. The project was started when Dr. Angel Alcala, a marine scientist from the Silliman University Marine Laboratory introduced to the local fishermen the importance of creating a marine sanctuary in the area. Initially, there was hesitation on the part of the locals, but after a three-year dialogue, Dr. Alcala convinced the island community to establish the sanctuary. Assisted by the staff of the SU Marine Laboratory in 1982, the local fishermen selected an area along 450 meters of shoreline and extending 500 meters from shore as the sanctuary site.Gerry Marten"Apo Island, Philippines: Eco Tipping Point Case Study, EcoTippingPoint, 05/14/07"
. Coral Reef Alliance. Retrieved 2010-04-20. Since then, the project initiated on the island led to the creation of hundreds of other marine sanctuaries in the Philippines.
At present, the island is home to over 650 documented species of fish and estimated to have over 400 species of corals. Most of the Philippines' 450 species of coral can be found here, from tiny bubble corals to huge gorgonian sea fans and brain corals. Visitors and tourists pay a fee to enter Apo Island and to snorkel or dive in the marine sanctuary there. These fees are used to keep the sanctuary clean and in good condition.
In 2003, Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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's Shedd Aquarium
Shedd Aquarium (formally the John G. Shedd Aquarium) is an indoor public aquarium in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Opened on May 30, 1930, the aquarium was for some time the largest indoor facility in the world. Today it holds about ...
opened a Wild Reef exhibit based on Apo Island's surrounding reef and marine sanctuary. In 2008, Sport Diver Magazine listed Apo Island as one of the top 100 diving spots in the world.Ronnel Domingo"2 RP sites make it to ‘must dive’ list "
. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 2010-04-20. As of 2017, the fish sanctuary, at the southeastern part of the island was closed "temporarily" since 2014 for the reason of super typhoon Haiyan that has destroyed the shallow coral reef. This beach is indeed facing the ocean and is now banned from snorkelling and the place is now used to park fishing boats. Though the island is not a marine reserve, only the local population have the right to catch fish. The main advantages on the island is indeed the facilities for diving residing on the island (with tanks and compressors) and the protection of sea turtles where more than 60 are recorded, and an amazing diversity of soft and hard corals. In the north part of the island, currents offer exceptionally clear waters even during the planktonic season (December thru March) with a school of jacks, 13 barracudas, few groupers located near Coconut diving spot.
See also
*List of protected areas of the Philippines
This is a list of protected areas of the Philippines administered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)'s Biodiversity Management Bureau under the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992. As of 202 ...
References
{{Authority control Islands of Negros Oriental Underwater diving sites in the Philippines Barangays of Negros Oriental Tourist attractions in Negros Oriental Protected landscapes and seascapes of the Philippines