Coron Island

Coron Island
Geography
Coron Island Cove
Coron Island Location within the Philippines
Coordinates	11°55′45″N 120°14′30″E / 11.92917°N 120.24167°E / 11.92917; 120.24167Coordinates: 11°55′45″N 120°14′30″E / 11.92917°N 120.24167°E / 11.92917; 120.24167
Archipelago	Calamian Group of Islands
Adjacent bodies of water	Sulu Sea
Length	20 km (12 mi)
Width	9 km (5.6 mi)
Highest elevation	600 m (2,000 ft)^[1]
Administration
Philippines
Region	MIMAROPA
Province	Palawan
Municipality	Coron
Demographics
Population	2649 (2010)^[2]

Coron is the third-largest island in the Calamian Islands in northern Palawan in the Philippines. The island is part of the larger municipality of the same name. It is about 170 nautical miles (310 km) southwest of Manila and is known for several Japanese shipwrecks of World War II vintage. Because of its unique ecological features, it is entirely protected by several legal proclamations.^[1]

The island and surrounding fishing grounds are part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagbanwa people, officially designated such on June 5, 1998.^[1] 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.^[1]

Geography

Partially between Busuanga and Culion islands, Coron Island faces the Sulu Sea and forms the eastern side of Coron Bay. It is about 20 kilometres (12 mi) long from north to south, and 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) at its widest point.

It is a wedge-shaped mountainous island, dominated by steep cliffs and Karst rock formations made of Permian limestone of Jurassic origin that comprises about 70% of its area. Another 25% is rolling hills, while only 5% is relatively flat. There are 11 lakes nestled in the rugged terrain, of which 3 have underground connections to the sea. There are a few mangroves in coastal areas.^[1]

Diving

The area around the wrecks has rock formations which provide for snorkeling opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to 80 feet (24 m). The water is often calm. Coron is one of the most visited destinations for wreck diving in the Philippines. Wreck dive sites are found in depths as shallow as 10–30 feet (3.0–9.1 m) and as deep as 120–140 feet (37–43 m). Most are in the range of about 60–80 feet (18–24 m).

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.

Wreck diving sites in Coron Bay include the Irako wreck, Okikawa Maru wreck, Akitsushima wreck, Kogyo Maru wreck, Olympia Maru wreck, Kyokuzan Maru wreck, East Tangat gunboat wreck (the real name of the ship, Terukaze Maru, was recently discovered by a group of Dutch divers, who spent a couple of days digging into bottom sand around the stern), Nanshin Maru wreck, Lusong Gunboat Wreck, and Skeleton Wreck.

The aquatic views from the sunken Japanese ships off Coron Island are listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top-10 best scuba diving sites in the world.^[3]^[4]

Gallery

Kayangan Lake, dubbed as the cleanest lake in Asia.^[5]^[6]
Coron Island is surrounded by islands with large rock formations
Large granite rock formations make up most of the islands around Coron
A beach near Coron Island
Coron Island rock formations
A stone islet in Coron Island
View of Coron Island
Kayangan Lake

References

1 2 3 4 5 "Coron Island Natural Biotic Area". World Heritage Centre: Tentative lists. UNESCO. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
↑ "Total Population by Province, City, Municipality and Barangay: as of May 1, 2010" (PDF). 2010 Census of Population and Housing. National Statistics Office. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
↑ manilastandardtoday.com, Lagen, Miniloc resorts win world’s green vote
↑ www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist, The world's greenest hotels, from Switzerland to Sri Lank
↑ http://www.ironwulf.net/2008/07/11/coron-scenic-kayangan-lake/
↑ http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g729733-d1639430-Reviews-Kayangan_Lake-Coron_Palawan_Mimaropa.html

External links

Media related to Coron Island at Wikimedia Commons
Coron travel guide from Wikivoyage

World Heritage Sites in the Philippines

World Heritage Sites	Baroque Churches of the Philippines San Agustin Church Paoay Church Santa Maria Church Miagao Church Mount Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras Batad Rice Terraces Bangaan Rice Terraces Hungduan Rice Terraces Mayoyao Central Rice Terraces Nagacadan Rice Terraces Tubbataha Reef Historic Town of Vigan

Tentative List	Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary Angono Triglyphs Apo Reef Natural Park Baroque Churches of the Philippines Extension Boljoon Church Guiuan Church Lazi Church Loboc Church Tumauini Church Batanes Protected Landscapes and Seascapes Butuan Archeological Sites Chocolate Hills Natural Monument Coron Island Natural Biotic Area El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area Jesuit Churches of the Philippines Guiuan Church Baclayon Church Loboc Church Maragondon Church Kabayan Mummy Burial Caves Liguasan Marsh Mount Apo Natural Park Mounts Iglit-Baco National Park Mount Malindang Range Natural Park Mount Matutum Protected Landscape Mount Pulag National Park Neolithic Shell Midden Sites in Lal-lo and Gattaran Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and outlying areas inclusive of the buffer zone Paleolithic Archaeological Sites in Cagayan Valley Panglao Island, Bohol Petroglyphs and Petrographs of the Philippines San Sebastian Church Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines Fuerza de Capul Dauis Watchtower Punta Cruz Watchtower Fuerza de San Andres Fuerza de Sta. Isabel Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Batangas The Maranao Settlement of Tugaya The Tabon Cave Complex and all of Lipuun Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

Major islands of the Philippines

Alabat Balabac Bantayan Basilan Biliran Bohol Bucas Grande Bugsuk Burias Busuanga Camiguin Cebu Catanduanes Culion Dinagat Dumaran Guimaras Homonhon Jolo Leyte Luzon Masbate Marinduque Mindanao Mindoro Negros Olutanga Palawan Panaon Panay Polillo Samal Samar Siargao Sibutu Sibuyan Siquijor Tablas Tawitawi Ticao

See also Geography of the Philippines Island groups of the Philippines List of islands

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