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PHILIPPINES > PALAWAN > EL NIDO The Philippine Islands are a cluster of more than 7000 islands, lying north of the Malay Peninsula in South East Asia. From north to south, the archipelago extends over nearly 1850 kilo-meters. The Philippines are of volcanic origin and a large part of the terrain is mountainous with fertile soils and spectacular landscapes. It is generally accepted that the Philippines terrestrial and marine habitats contain some of the richest biodiversities of flora and fauna. Further, many of these organisms are endemic to the Philippines. For example, of the 580 recorded birds, over 35% of them can only be found in the Philippines. 61% of the 167 different species of mammals and 65% of the 10,000+ different species of plants are endemic. Although many of the islands have an incredible assortment of wildlife, no island has more to offer than the island province of Palawan. Dubbed the ‘Last Frontier’ because of the thousands of kilo-meters of unexplored forests and coastlines, this narrow archipelago, located between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, is the 3rd largest island in the Philippines. As the western-most island in the Philippines, it is actually more closely associated, in regards to its geology, flora and fauna, with Malaysia and Southeast Asia than with the rest of the Philippines. The Island of Palawan resides on the Sunda Plate (but is thought to have been detached from China over 40 million years ago, evidenced by the similarity with the islands in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam and Guilan, China), while the rest of the Philippine Islands sit on the Philippine Plate. Only in ‘recent’ times, about 10 million years ago, did Palawan ‘link’ up with the other oceanic islands of the Philippines. One of the most important events that lead towards Palawan’s high biodiversity happened approximately 10,000 years ago when substantial amounts of the world’s oceans were locked up in glaciers. This resulted in much of the Sunda shelf (Borneo, western Indonesia) becoming exposed. During this time, it is thought that Palawan had a small, shallow land-bridge to Borneo, and separation with many of the islands in the rest of the Philippine chain was not as dramatic. As a result, Palawan not only showcases many of the flora and fauna associated with the rest of the Philippines, but also has many birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, trees, and plants found on the island of Borneo.



Palawan is home to over 232 endemic species including the Palawan Hornbill (Anthracoceros marchie) and Peacock Pheasant (Polyplectron emphanum), Porcupine (Thecurus pumilis), and Scaly Anteater (Manis culionensis). With 62 species of mammals including Crab-eating Macaque (Maccaca fasicularis) and Dugongs (Dugong dugon), 200 species of birds, 400 species of coral, 600 species of butterflies, 1300 species of tropical fish, and 1500 species of flowering plants these islands will amaze even the most seasoned naturalists. The entire province has been designated as a Fish and Wildlife Sanctuary since 1967, which has helped to preserve the incredible biodiversity of organisms that inhabit the island. If Palawan is the premier island for wildlife in the Philippines, El Nido and Bacuit Bay would be the premier showcase. Located on the northwestern tip of the main island, the town of El Nido (‘The Nest’; named after Edible Nest Swiftlets, Aerodramus fuciphagus) is gateway to 45 majestic Karst-Limestone islands and countless stretches of pristine white sand beaches. Complimentary to the spectacular topside scenery the waters surrounding the islands contain an amazing and colorful assortment of fish and corals. In 1991, the Philippine government designated the entire island group within Bacuit Bay as a marine preserve and in 1998 included the terrestrial area around El Nido and Taytay for a total of 96,000 hectares of protected land and sea. This protection has aided in promoting the health and diversity of over 400 species of coral, 800 species of tropical fish, and an abundance of nesting sights for three species of turtles. Further, with the protection of the terrestrial habitats, it has made the area of Northern Palawan a premier place for bird watching.