Picturesque Paguriran Island

A little gem of an island is tucked away in a quiet corner of Bacon, Sorsogon - the picturesque Paguriran Island. Last Thursday, the Web Marketing Department went on a road trip to Paguriran. Of course, with the wanderlust itching in me, I had to be there too. Hehe. The Content Dev Dept. had been planning to visit Paguriran since mid-January, but a series of events kept us from going.

Paguriran is a tiny group of coral and rock islets located off the white sand beaches of Sawanga in Bacon. It is accessible from the adjacent beach by wading through crystal clear waters, the depth of which may range from ankle to waist depending on the tides. Within the island, coralline and granite crags enclose a shallow lagoon that is perfect for swimming (you have to watch out for sharp corals, though).


Meanwhile, the highest point of the island is a rocky promontory that provides a spectacular vista of the beach, the deep blue Albay Gulf, mainland Sorsogon and surrounding islands. It is said that the island used to be a sanctuary for marine turtles or pawikan. With its spectacular beauty, Paguriran Island is definitely a must-visit if ever you are in Sorsogon.

Check out my Paguriran Island set on Flickr for Hi-Res images.

Loco over the Chocolate Hills

No trip to Bohol is complete without the requisite visit to the Chocolate Hills. There are over 1,776 of these mysterious conical hills rising from an area of 50 square kilometers. It's almost an otherworldly sight if we weren't so familiar with it since we were kids leafing through textbook images of these famous hills.

Geologists have theorized that the hills were formed due to the uplift of coral deposits thousands of years ago and the result of the action of rainwater and erosion. It got it's famous name from the grass cover that turns brown during summer. The Chocolate Hills have been declared as a National Geologic Monument and is currently shortlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Meanwhile, Bicol also has geologic formations that resemble the Chocolate Hills when viewed from the air, though more irregular in shape. These hills are usually visible to airplane passengers especially when the plane is about to land at the Legazpi Airport. These undulating hills look like sand ripples to me rather than conical hills though. Here's a great photo of the undulating hills with Mayon Volcano in the background (click on image to enlarge)


Image courtesy of h8ns

Bohol Wildlife: Tarsiers & Pythons

The tarsier is the indisputable star of Bohol's wildlife. The first time you see a live tarsier, it will certainly win you over with its sheer cuteness. Barely the size of a small kitten, the furry tarsier clings on twigs and branches, stoically gazing at the world with their huge eyes. They are actually nocturnal so that explains their somewhat lethargic behavior during daytime.

Here are some quick facts about the Tarsier from the WWF, where it is listed as one of the Top Ten Species to See:

• The Philippine tarsier (Tarsius Syrichta) is one of the smallest known primates, measuring about 6 inches in height (although they looked much smaller) and 115g to 130g in weight.
• It is said that the Philippine Tarsier has the largest eyes, proportionate to its body size, of any animal on the plant.
• The eyes of the Tarsier are huge, giving it very acute night vision that makes them good night hunters (they subsist on insects and small reptiles).
  
• The tarsier's eyes are fixed and unable to move like our eyes. To compensate, their heads can turn 180^o and the large ears are constantly moving and picking up sounds.
• It gets its name from its elongated tarsus or ankle bone.
• It is believed to be over 45 million years old, one of the oldest land species to continuously live in the Philippines.

From the undeniably cute to the downright creepy, Bohol has it. Another unique animal is stealing some of the limelight from the irresistible tarsiers - Prony the Python. Despite the funny name (derived from Sofronio, the owner's name), there's nothing to laugh about Prony, a ginormous, 24-foot reticulated python considered as the largest in captivity.

Captured from Bohol's rainforests back in 1996, Prony grew to such abnormal proportions because of the love and care provided by her (yes, Prony's a female) owners, who consider her as family. They actually feed her either a live pig or goat every month. There are souvenir photos available showing that grim scenario. We weren't able to see Prony in action because she just lay there like a huge shiny blob of snake leather barely moving a muscle. It would have been cool to see her devour a pig.

But on second thought, We'd rather not. Haha. We're perfectly fine with Prony just lying there peacefuly while MariMar entertains us with some Prony anecdotes in his/her baritone voice. (Right Talie? haha) I have seen the crocodile in Albay Parks and Wildlife gobble some chickens and it certainly isn't a pretty sight, LOLs.

Read more about Prony the Python here.

The Tubbataha Reef: 7 Natural Wonders Nominee

Photo by Phua Boon Wah

The Philippines’ very own Tubbataha Reef is nominated in the global poll to name the new seven natural wonders of the world. The 96,000 hectare reef ecosystem in the middle of the Sulu Sea, touted as Asia’s best marine park, is one of over a hundred natural attractions from around the world vying for the distinction.

Surprisingly, the reef is our country’s lone entry in the list of 77 nominees. There are definitely many more natural attractions from the Philippines that deserve to accompany the Tubbataha reef on that list, and it’s a shame only one got through. (I've nominated Albay's Mayon Volcano)

Still, the Tubbataha Reef certainly deserves to be part of the top seven. This ecologically-rich reef composed of two atolls located 92 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. In 1993, Tubbataha Reef was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site “in recognition of its outstanding universal value in terms of marine life species diversity and richness.”

Find out how to vote after the jump.

Photo by lexmanxxx

Comparable in diversity to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, Tubbataha is home to over 300 species of coral and 400 species of fish including giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels. The rare hawksbill turtle also call Tubbataha home. Thousands of migratory seabirds also flock to the island during their annual migration.

The stunning diversity makes the Tubbataha Reef a favorite destination for divers. And yet the reef has been protected for years from exploitation due to its own remoteness and inaccessibility.

Photo by pinay_diver

Personally, I find the poll ridiculous. All the wonders of the natural world can not possibly be given justice in a measly list of only seven. Still, this is yet another chance to showcase our well-known Pinoy solidarity when it comes to online polls. Let us vote for the Tubbataha Reef because it definitely deserves to be there. As of January 25, 2007, the reef is steady at the 34th spot. Tubbataha needs to enter the top 21 rankings to be considered as a finalist candidate. Voters from around the world will then choose the new seven natural wonders from the finalists. Click here to vote!

Photo by Lawrence Yung