Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Jagged/ABC Wednedsday


J is for Jagged

These are jagged granite cliffs of Coron Island, one of the 80-plus islands in the Calamianes in northern Palawan.  The craggy cliffs have been slowly shaped by the elements over millions of years, they jut out of sea like some mythical creatures.  The caves in northern Palawan are also home to balinsasayaw (Collocalia whiteheadi), a species of swift endemic to the Philippines that produces a prized saliva---bird's nest, a delicacy for Chinese diners.  Price of bird's nest is no joke---a jaw-dropping P80,000 (roughly US$2,000) a kilo.  But the jolting fact is, the bird is endangered...so please stop eating bird's nest soup even when you have the money to pay for it.

The mysterious Coron Island is an ancestral domain to the indigenous Tagbanua.  The island and the rest of the Calamianes attract thousands of nature lovers every year. There are  lakes, coral gardens, rocky coves, cave systems and sugar-white sandy beaches.  For the adventurous, there are about 12 dive sites around this area, mainly Japanese shipwrecks sunk in 1944 by US Navy action.   It was a joy visiting this slice of paradise.


Busuanga Island is the jump-off point to anywhere in the Calamianes; Coron Island is just a 20-minute boat ride across the bay.



Linking to ABC Wednesday

19 comments:

Ann said...

Gorgeous jagged examples.
Ann

Photo Cache said...

oh i would love to see that someday too. yap i'm with you about getting people to stop eating the bird's nest soup and the shark's fin soup too.

caijsa said...

Lovely photos. Looks amazing and mysterious place. I also hope people stop eating bird's nest soup.

Carver said...

Fascinating post and great shots. I love the jagged cliffs. That's terrible about the endangered birds. Carver, ABC Wed. Team

Marleen said...

Great photo's! Isn't it impressive that it is so incredibly old.

Roger Owen Green said...

JAGGED indeed. And a bit scary to boot.
ROG, ABC Wednesday team

MaR said...

Fantastic pictures, wonderful jagged cliffs! great word for J

J is for...

Leslie: said...

I don't think I'd like to try to climb those cliffs! Awesome pictures!

Leslie
abcw team

Anonymous said...

Jagged mountain photography ~ wonderful post for J

enjoy ^_^

photowannabe said...

Amazing jagged rock!
Wonderful photos of a very exotic place.

Unknown said...

What a fantastic and mysterious landscape. I can only imagine the secrets the place holds

Unknown said...

Incredibly sharp pointed tops! But it looks like a fairy-tale (except for the shipwrecks:) ) Great J-post!

Rajesh said...

Beautiful rock formations on the island.

Indrani said...

i wish i could be there now.

GreensboroDailyPhoto said...

Jagged Joy....... Paradise.....

Lea said...

Amazing jagged cliffs!
Have a wonderful day!
Lea
Lea's Menagerie

LONDONLULU said...

What a JOY indeed! I love those jagged structures, nature is wondrous.

Reader Wil said...

Very beautiful and interesting post! Thank you! Good choice for J!
Wil, ABCW TEAM.

Chubskulit Rose said...

Oh my, really beautiful! There are so much beautiful things to see in the Philippines!

January

Catching up (again) with this week's entries.
Rose, ABC Wednesday Team