The Philippines lies within one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world and recent evidence shows that more than two-thirds of the Earth’s biological resources are found within 17 ‘mega-diverse’ countries which includes the Philippines. Furthermore, the country is ranked amongst the top six in terms of endemism and species diversity.
Warm sunny days, crystal clear blue water, white sand beaches, a great atmosphere, and some of the best scuba diving in the world. If that’s what you’re after, look no further than Paradise Island.
Scuba Diving and its Marine Sanctuary is the main attraction in the region. The dive sites around the island vary from shallow coral gardens to deep drop-offs, as well as walls up to 30 meters, ideal for all levels of Divers. We are fully equipped with the best Scuba Diving equipment; The reef is located approximately 100-130 yards from the Resort beach.
The tropical forests and coral reefs of the Philippines are of vital importance both ecologically and economically.
Coral reefs have been identified as one of the “essential life-support systems” necessary for food production, health and other aspects of human survival and sustainable development. In the Philippines, coral reefs provide a vital source of food and revenue for local communities and income from tourism in the coastal zone is becoming increasingly important.
The Philippine Archipelago consists of more than 7,000 islands. The coastline extends for over 34,400 km and supports some of the richest and most diverse coral reef systems in the world. Reefs, which cover approximately 25,000 km2, are generally fringing and vary in length from tens of meters to 5 km. The healthiest and most diverse reefs are generally regarded as the atoll formations in the Sulu Sea and the banks west of Palawan. The high level of biodiversity is typified by the high scleractinian diversity with 499 species currently recorded from the Philippines with the final total likely to be higher.
The most common species noted were damselfish, gobies and wrasse.
In summary, the descriptions of the area around Paradise Island indicate a heterogeneous reef. Around the south of the island were high levels of diversity of corals, fish, algae and epifauna.
The Northern Palawan Conservation Project Report – Excerpts on Coral Island. Between July and September 1998, the island was used as the benchmark for a Coral Reef survey of the surrounding archipelago – www.coralcay.org
The partial report presented below, was for the study of the marine resources – and provides the results of data analysis for the pilot phase in 1998. It includes more detailed results of benthic analysis, impacts and anthropogenic influences on the island and offers recommendations for future work.
Five distinct benthic classes were described, distributed relatively evenly around the island. Sections of the reef around Paradise Island were physically and biologically diverse and in fair health compared to many other Southeast Asian reefs.
Phase 1 of the TBCP was carried out between 15th July – 4th September 1998 by utilizing a team of 32 volunteers and staff in collaboration with scientists from the University of Essex based on Coral Island.
Fish data analysis Damselfish (Pomacentridae), gobies (Gobidae) and wrasses (Labridae) were the most abundant fish families and were present in all benthic classes. In order to show the status of commercially exploited fish stocks, an assessment of commonly fished groups is also shown.
Number of survey sections and location of transects
