Project Partner Organisation: Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. Contact PRRFCI

Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project

[This project has been completed]

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Conservation in the Philippines
Make a donation to Danjugan Island Support Fund
Background and further information
Other projects in the Philippines

Conservation in the Philippines 

Danjugan is a small island, 1.5km long and 0.5km at its widest point (1 mile x one-third mile). It lies in the Sulu Sea, 3km west of Negros Island, in the Visayan Island Group, and is surrounded by coral reef. Unlike the majority of smaller islands in the Philippines it still has almost all of its original forest cover. It has several caves which provide important roosting habitats for flourishing colonies of bats.

Danjugan Island. See a larger image. (Use your back button to return here.)

Danjugan Island is an important resting-place for migratory birds, such as swallows, swifts and several species of kingfisher. Sea eagles, fishing eagles, mangrove heron and night heron frequence the mangrove swamps and the forests are alive with warblers, flycatchers, bulbuls, weaverbirds and sunbirds. Two species of marine turtle are present: the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle. Both species are endangered and numbers continue to decline due to illegal collecting for eggs, meat and, in the case of the hawksbill, its shell. Dugongs are also seen occasionally in the crystal clear waters, while whales, including the large sperm whale, are seen off shore.

Reef and rainforest conservation hand in hand

Between them, tropical forests and coral reefs contain the world's richest and most diverse environments, but both have suffered from a wide range of destructive human activities. Forests are threatened by clearance for timber, agriculture and development and coral reefs by pollution, quarrying, over-fishing and exploitive tourism. The mangroves, which form a barrier between land and sea, are nutrient-rich breeding grounds for fish, birds and other wildlife, as well as providing vital 'shock absorbers' for hurricanes. They too are threatened by extensive cutting to produce charcoal, for fish farming and infill development.

Danjugan - an Endangered Species Refuge

Danjugan Island's coral reefs really are as diverse as the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Coral Cay Conservation Volunteers surveyed a 40 hectare (2km) area of coral reef in 1996 and identified 190 species and 73 genera of corals. The Great Barrier Reef, stretching some 1,600 km, is known to contain approximately 80 genera of corals and it is truly astounding that the Danjugan Reefs contain, in small areas surveyed, as much diversity as the whole of the Great Barrier Reef. Surveying around Danjugan is still in its infancy and hopes are high that very many more species will be identified.

More information on the Philippine Reef & Rainforest Project 

• Project background
• External link: For up to date information on Danjugan Island, visit Philippine Reef & Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc.

Other projects in the Philippines

Reef & Mangrove Appeal