Coron Island
Encyclopedia
Coron Island is the third largest island in the Calamian Group of 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 (314.8 km) southwest of Manila
, is known for several Japan
ese shipwreck
s World War II
vintage. The island is part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagbanua
people. Known as Calis among the Tagbanuas and Coronians, its Tribal Chieftain is Apo Rodolfo Aguilar
.
The area around the wrecks have pleasant rock formations which provide for excellent snorkeling
opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to 80 feet (24.4 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 a depth as shallow as 10–30 feet and as deep as 120–140 feet. Most are in the range of about 60–80 feet, perfect for sports divers.
Dive sites around Coron include many different reef dive sites and the famous "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.
Palawan
Palawan is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region or Region 4. Its capital is Puerto Princesa City, and it is the largest province in the country in terms of total area of jurisdiction. The islands of Palawan stretch from Mindoro in the northeast to Borneo in the...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The island is part of the larger municipality of the same name
Coron, Palawan
Coron is a first class municipality in the province of Palawan, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it had a population of 32,243 people in 6,264 households....
. It is about 170 nautical miles (314.8 km) southwest of Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, is known for several Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese shipwreck
Shipwreck
A shipwreck is what remains of a ship that has wrecked, either sunk or beached. Whatever the cause, a sunken ship or a wrecked ship is a physical example of the event: this explains why the two concepts are often overlapping in English....
s World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
vintage. The island is part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagbanua
Tagbanua
The Tagbanua tribe, one of the oldest tribes in the Philippines, can be mainly found in the central and northern Palawan. Research has shown that the Tagbanua are possible descendants of the Tabon Man; thus, making them one of the original inhabitants of the Philippines...
people. Known as Calis among the Tagbanuas and Coronians, its Tribal Chieftain is Apo Rodolfo Aguilar
Apo Rodolfo Aguilar
-A Modern Tribal Ruler:His Majesty Rodolfo Aguilar I is the current traditional Tagbanua tribal leader of Coron Island. According to professor-historian Nilo S...
.
The area around the wrecks have pleasant rock formations which provide for excellent snorkeling
Snorkeling
Snorkeling is the practice of swimming on or through a body of water while equipped with a diving mask, a shaped tube called a snorkel, and usually swimfins. In cooler waters, a wetsuit may also be worn...
opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to 80 feet (24.4 m). The water is often calm. Coron is one of the most visited destinations for wreck diving
Wreck diving
Wreck diving is a type of recreational diving where shipwrecks are explored. Although most wreck dive sites are at shipwrecks, there is an increasing trend to scuttle retired ships to create artificial reef sites...
in the Philippines. Wreck dive sites are found in a depth as shallow as 10–30 feet and as deep as 120–140 feet. Most are in the range of about 60–80 feet, perfect for sports divers.
Dive sites around Coron include many different reef dive sites and the famous "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
Japanese seaplane tender Akitsushima
The was a seaplane tender of the Imperial Japanese Navy, serving during the World War II from 1942 until being sunk in September 1944.-Design:In 1938, the IJN wanted to use their large-sized flying boats more effectively, because the Kawanishi H6K was the only aircraft able to hit the Pearl Harbor...
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
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
Traveler Magazine’s top-10 best scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
sites in the world.