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Palawan Environmental and Marine Studies Center
The Region
Palawan is situated on the Sunda Shelf along with Borneo, sharing Borneo's
rainforest plants and animals. During the Ice Age sea levels were much lower and
Borneo linked to Palawan by land-bridge. The two island regions share many common fauna and flora. However,
48 percent of Palawan's animals are claimed to exist nowhere else on Earth.
The entire Palawan province has been declared Man and Biosphere Reserve by the Philippine government. Palawan hosts two Natural Heritage Sites: the Tubattaha Reef and St Paul Subterranean River. The Calamiane Islands are refered to as The Last Frontier of the Philippines. Geographic location is the northern apex of the "coral triangle", this Indo-Pacific triangle housing 75 percent of all coral species in the World. A marine survey sponsored by Conservation International, conducted in the Calamiane Island group in 1998, found the archipelago houses the highest rate of coral diversity in the world with 21 new coral species discovered and recorded for the first time in marine scientific history. Pods of whales, schools of dolphin, shoals of fish, manatees, turtles, manta rays are frequent visitors, with seasonal whale shark sightings reported by kayakers and divers. The Palawan islands are a WWII wreck diving mecca. Several large, intact wrecks offer swim-throughs, deep penetrations and more casual photo opportunities due to coral and shell encrustations. Culion is known as the "world's largest leper colony", and was the site at which the cure for leprosy was developed. Today Culion is a cute, neat and tidy vacation destination with much to offer. We look forward to introducing you to the magic of the Palawan Islands.
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