Coron Island

The rock formations on the islands around Coron Island

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 (310 km) southwest of Manila, is known for several Japanese shipwrecks World War II vintage. The island is part of the ancestral domain of the indigenous Tagbanwa people.

The area around the wrecks have pleasant rock formations which provide for excellent snorkeling opportunities, with underwater visibility extending up to 80 feet (24 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.^[1][2]

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  Coron Island Cove

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  Coron Island is surrounded by islands with large rock formations

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  Large granite rock formations make up most of the islands around Coron

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  Coron Island

External links

• Travel Guide: Coron
• Coron Bay Wreck Dive Sites
• Coron Island
• Coron, Palawan: Philippines' Untouched Beauty
• Coron Wreck Diving Possibilities and Historical Information
• Kayangan Lake, Coron Island
• Travel Deals

References

1. ^ manilastandardtoday.com, Lagen, Miniloc resorts win world’s green vote
2. ^ www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist, The world's greenest hotels, from Switzerland to Sri Lank

Coordinates: 11°55′43″N 120°14′28″E / 11.92861°N 120.24111°E / 11.92861; 120.24111