Olango Island Group
Encyclopedia
The Olango Island Group is a group of islands found in the Central Visayas
region of the Philippines
. It is composed of Olango Island and 6 satellite islets namely: Sulpa, Gilutongan, Nalusuan
, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi. Olango Island and its neighboring islets has a total land area of approximately 10.3 square kilometres (4 sq mi). The island group is under the jurisdiction of the City of Lapu-Lapu
and the Municipality of Cordova
. The island group is a part of Cebu Province. It lies 5 km east of Mactan Island and a major tourist destination in Cebu. It is known for its wildlife sanctuary.
Strait to the south and the Camotes Sea to the north. To the east is the Olango Channel while to the west is the Gilutungan Channel.
. A total of 4,482 hectares of extensive sandy beach, rocky shoreline, inshore flats, seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangrove forest, mudflats, and salt marsh grass surround Olango
and its satellite islets.
, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi are bounded by continuous fringing reefs (steep reef wall on the west and sloping reef at the east coast of Olango) and reef flats. The islands are low-lying with elevation reaching no more than 10 meters above sea level. At the center of these islands is a vast tidal flat, which includes the 920-hectare area of the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
of the island
consists of 2 unit types: the Plio-Pleistocene
Carcar Formation and the Quaternary Alluvium
(the youngest lithologic unit). Carcar formation is typically a porous coralline limestone characterized by small sinkholes, pitted grooves, and branching pinnacles. This suggests in situ deposition. Its dominant composition are shell, algae, and other carbonate materials, while macro and micro fossils are found abundant in its formation. Alluvium, on the other hand, is mostly found in the coastal areas. Calcareous sand derived from the weathering of limestone mostly makes up the tidal flat. This appears as fine to coarse-grained sand mixed with shell fragments.
has two seasons namely: the wet and dry seasons. The dry season typically occurs from February to May and the rainy season from June to January. The dry season may be subdivided further into the cool dry season, from December to February; and the hot dry season, from March to May.
Olango Island has a tropical climate, which is typical to the Central Visayas
region of the
Philippines. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA
), the area is relatively hot and humid, with a mean daily temperature range of 23 to 30 degrees Celsius. Daily mean relative humidity ranges from 60 to 94 percent. The annual rainfall averages about 1,579 mm at Mactan-Cebu International Airport
and 1,440 mm in Barangay Maribago, which is located along the eastern coastline of Mactan Island
.
The climate of Olango Island can be classified as Type 3, having a very pronounced maximum rain period and only a short dry season. Although, the Philippine archipelago lies within the typhoon belt, the island of Olango is shielded from typhoons by the islands of Mactan and Bohol
.
namely, the City of Lapu-Lapu
and the Municipality of Cordova
. The Olango Island group is composed of 11 barangays. The main island of Olango is composed of 8 barangays (Baring, Caw-oy, Sabang, Santa Rosa, Talima, Tingo, Tungasan and San Vicente) as well as the island barangays of Pangan-an and Caohagan, which are under the administration of Lapu-Lapu City. Gilutongan and Nalusuan Islands
both within Barangay Gilutongan, are under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Cordova.
Olango Island, situated off Mactan Island
in Cebu, is one of the seven best-known flyways in the world for migrating birds. Its main attraction is its 920-hectare Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven for migratory birds from Siberia
, Northern China
, and Japan
. These birds flock to the island seeking refuge from the winter climate of other countries. The sanctuary supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the Philippines. There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while the rest are resident birds of the island.
The birds use Olango as a major refueling station as well as a wintering ground. The birds stop by the island on their southward journey to Australia
and New Zealand
and on their journey back to their nesting grounds. Among the frequent guests are Chinese egret
s, Asiatic dowitcher
s, Eastern curlews, plovers, sanpipers, Black-tailed Godwit
and Red Knot
. It is best to visit Olango around the months of July to November just in time for winter in the Northern Hemisphere
.
Then President Corazon Aquino
declared the 1,020 hectares tidal flats in Olango a protected area under Proclamation No. 903 on May 14, 1992. It was included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance
on 1 July 1994. It is the Philippines' first wetland of international importance for waterfowl
.
Situated in the northern tip of the island is Mabini Point. Descending to around 35m at the drop-off, one can watch shark
s, including hammerheads and the occasional whale shark
. Currents around the site are strong and unpredictable.
Olango Island has one of the deepest wall dives around. Baring is along the North-Western side of the island and the wall starts at 60 ft/20m and ends down to about 220 ft/73m before disappearing on a gradual slope. Grey reef sharks, tuna
, barracuda
, snappers and jacks can be found around the area.
Slightly further south is Santa Rosa. The dive starts with a sandy bottom covered in soft corals, leading to a drop-off at 15m, descending to 50m. There is a good variety of reef fish in the shallows here, while further down you'll see fusiliers
, catfish
, jacks
, snapper
s and sweetlips
, among others.
Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
region of 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...
. It is composed of Olango Island and 6 satellite islets namely: Sulpa, Gilutongan, Nalusuan
Nalusuan Island
Nalusuan Island is man-made resort island in the Cebu Strait, the Philippines, and one of the islands comprising the Olango Island Group. The island, which measures close to a hectare, is situated in between the Province of Bohol and Mactan Island...
, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi. Olango Island and its neighboring islets has a total land area of approximately 10.3 square kilometres (4 sq mi). The island group is under the jurisdiction of the City of Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu City
The City of Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometer off the main island of Cebu and also covers the Olango Island Group further to the southeast, plus a few other islets. It is part of the...
and the Municipality of Cordova
Cordova, Cebu
The Municipality of Cordova is located in the 6th district of the Cebu Province in the Philippines. The mainland of Cordova lays on a separate island, in front of the southside of Mactan Island. It is connected to the main island of Mactan over 3 bridges. The total population in Cordova is 45,066...
. The island group is a part of Cebu Province. It lies 5 km east of Mactan Island and a major tourist destination in Cebu. It is known for its wildlife sanctuary.
Geography
The Olango Group of islands consists of seven islands. It lies between 10°16′N latitude and 124°03′E longitude. Located five kilometers east of Mactan Island, Olango Island and its satellite islets lies between the BoholBohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
Strait to the south and the Camotes Sea to the north. To the east is the Olango Channel while to the west is the Gilutungan Channel.
Land area
Olango Island and its neighboring islets has a total land area of approximately 10.3 km² (1,030 hectares). The reef flat-lagoon surrounding the island of Olango is considered one of the most extensive reef areas in the Central VisayasCentral Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
. A total of 4,482 hectares of extensive sandy beach, rocky shoreline, inshore flats, seagrass beds, coral reefs, mangrove forest, mudflats, and salt marsh grass surround Olango
and its satellite islets.
Topography
The Olango group of islands is an island group composed of the island of Olango and six satellite islets. The six neighboring islets namely: Sulpa, Gilutongan, NalusuanNalusuan Island
Nalusuan Island is man-made resort island in the Cebu Strait, the Philippines, and one of the islands comprising the Olango Island Group. The island, which measures close to a hectare, is situated in between the Province of Bohol and Mactan Island...
, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi are bounded by continuous fringing reefs (steep reef wall on the west and sloping reef at the east coast of Olango) and reef flats. The islands are low-lying with elevation reaching no more than 10 meters above sea level. At the center of these islands is a vast tidal flat, which includes the 920-hectare area of the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary.
Geology
Olango Island and its satellite islets are raised coral reefs. The lithologyLithology
The lithology of a rock unit is a description of its physical characteristics visible at outcrop, in hand or core samples or with low magnification microscopy, such as colour, texture, grain size, or composition. It may be either a detailed description of these characteristics or be a summary of...
of the island
consists of 2 unit types: the Plio-Pleistocene
Plio-Pleistocene
The term Plio-Pleistocene refers to the geological period more recent than circa 5 million years ago, incorporating both the formally defined epochs of the Pliocene and the Pleistocene...
Carcar Formation and the Quaternary Alluvium
(the youngest lithologic unit). Carcar formation is typically a porous coralline limestone characterized by small sinkholes, pitted grooves, and branching pinnacles. This suggests in situ deposition. Its dominant composition are shell, algae, and other carbonate materials, while macro and micro fossils are found abundant in its formation. Alluvium, on the other hand, is mostly found in the coastal areas. Calcareous sand derived from the weathering of limestone mostly makes up the tidal flat. This appears as fine to coarse-grained sand mixed with shell fragments.
Climate
The PhilippinesPhilippines
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...
has two seasons namely: the wet and dry seasons. The dry season typically occurs from February to May and the rainy season from June to January. The dry season may be subdivided further into the cool dry season, from December to February; and the hot dry season, from March to May.
Olango Island has a tropical climate, which is typical to the Central Visayas
Central Visayas
Central Visayas, designated as Region VII, is a region of the Philippines located in the central part of the Visayas island group. It consists of four provinces—Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor— and the highly urbanized cities of Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, and Mandaue City....
region of the
Philippines. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
(PAGASA
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration is a Philippine national institution dedicated to provide flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other specialized information and...
), the area is relatively hot and humid, with a mean daily temperature range of 23 to 30 degrees Celsius. Daily mean relative humidity ranges from 60 to 94 percent. The annual rainfall averages about 1,579 mm at Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Mactan-Cebu International Airport is a major international airport in the Visayas region of the Philippines. It is located in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan Island, Metro Cebu and is the country's second primary gateway...
and 1,440 mm in Barangay Maribago, which is located along the eastern coastline of Mactan Island
Mactan Island
Mactan is an island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova...
.
The climate of Olango Island can be classified as Type 3, having a very pronounced maximum rain period and only a short dry season. Although, the Philippine archipelago lies within the typhoon belt, the island of Olango is shielded from typhoons by the islands of Mactan and Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
.
Political/administrative boundaries
Olango and its satellite islets are under the jurisdiction of 2 local government units (LGUs),namely, the City of Lapu-Lapu
Lapu-Lapu City
The City of Lapu-Lapu is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Cebu in the Philippines. The city occupies most of Mactan Island, a few kilometer off the main island of Cebu and also covers the Olango Island Group further to the southeast, plus a few other islets. It is part of the...
and the Municipality of Cordova
Cordova, Cebu
The Municipality of Cordova is located in the 6th district of the Cebu Province in the Philippines. The mainland of Cordova lays on a separate island, in front of the southside of Mactan Island. It is connected to the main island of Mactan over 3 bridges. The total population in Cordova is 45,066...
. The Olango Island group is composed of 11 barangays. The main island of Olango is composed of 8 barangays (Baring, Caw-oy, Sabang, Santa Rosa, Talima, Tingo, Tungasan and San Vicente) as well as the island barangays of Pangan-an and Caohagan, which are under the administration of Lapu-Lapu City. Gilutongan and Nalusuan Islands
both within Barangay Gilutongan, are under the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Cordova.
Population size, density, distribution
Olango and its satellite islets had a total population of 21,928, composed of 4,382 households in 1995. The average population density of Olango is 34.2 individuals per ha or 3,420 per km2, with Gilutongan Island having the highest density of all the barangays at 96.8 individuals per hectare. In 2009, the total population has reached 32,000 people.Education
Elementary schools are found in all barangays and 4 high schools operating in 4 barangays. At present, there are no college or vocational courses being offered in the island.Source of income
The traditional occupations of Olango residents are fishing and coastal-related activities such as shellcraft, aquarium fish collection, boat operations, and seaweed farming. Other sources of income include rainfed farming, personnel services, livestock raising, small enterprise (sari-sari store) and, recently, various types of employment from tourism activities.Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Olango Island is a diverse coastal ecosystem consisting of extensive coralline sandflats, mangroves, seagrass beds, and offshore coral reefs. The island's mangroves are most extensive in the Cebu province, and its offshore corals are home to scores of various marine species. The island is virtually flat, and it is surrounded by warm seas and partly sheltered from monsoons and strong trade winds.Olango Island, situated off Mactan Island
Mactan Island
Mactan is an island located a few kilometres from Cebu Island in the Philippines. The island is part of Cebu Province and it is divided into Lapu-Lapu City and the municipality of Cordova...
in Cebu, is one of the seven best-known flyways in the world for migrating birds. Its main attraction is its 920-hectare Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary, a haven for migratory birds from Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Northern China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, and 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...
. These birds flock to the island seeking refuge from the winter climate of other countries. The sanctuary supports the largest concentration of migratory birds found so far in the Philippines. There are 97 species of birds in Olango, 48 of which are migratory species, while the rest are resident birds of the island.
The birds use Olango as a major refueling station as well as a wintering ground. The birds stop by the island on their southward journey to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and on their journey back to their nesting grounds. Among the frequent guests are Chinese egret
Chinese Egret
The Chinese Egret or Swinhoe's Egret, Egretta eulophotes, is a full-crested, white egret with yellow bill. It breeds in Russia, North Korea, South Korea and mainland China, and then migrates south through Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia...
s, Asiatic dowitcher
Asiatic Dowitcher
The Asiatic Dowitcher, Limnodromus semipalmatus, is a rare medium-large wader.Adults have dark legs and a long straight dark bill, somewhat shorter than that of the Long-billed Dowitcher. The body is brown on top and reddish underneath in breeding plumage. The tail has a black and white barred...
s, Eastern curlews, plovers, sanpipers, Black-tailed Godwit
Black-tailed Godwit
The Black-tailed Godwit, Limosa limosa, is a large, long-legged, long-billed shorebird first described by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. It is a member of the Limosa genus, the godwits...
and Red Knot
Red Knot
The Red Knot, Calidris canutus , is a medium sized shorebird which breeds in tundra and the Arctic Cordillera in the far north of Canada, Europe, and Russia. It is a large member of the Calidris sandpipers, second only to the Great Knot...
. It is best to visit Olango around the months of July to November just in time for winter in the Northern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
The Northern Hemisphere is the half of a planet that is north of its equator—the word hemisphere literally means “half sphere”. It is also that half of the celestial sphere north of the celestial equator...
.
Then President Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
declared the 1,020 hectares tidal flats in Olango a protected area under Proclamation No. 903 on May 14, 1992. It was included on the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
on 1 July 1994. It is the Philippines' first wetland of international importance for waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
.
Dive sites
The island of Olango is also known for its dive sites. Tourists can dive in three different sites around the island.Situated in the northern tip of the island is Mabini Point. Descending to around 35m at the drop-off, one can watch shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s, including hammerheads and the occasional whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
. Currents around the site are strong and unpredictable.
Olango Island has one of the deepest wall dives around. Baring is along the North-Western side of the island and the wall starts at 60 ft/20m and ends down to about 220 ft/73m before disappearing on a gradual slope. Grey reef sharks, tuna
Tuna
Tuna is a salt water fish from the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. Tuna are fast swimmers, and some species are capable of speeds of . Unlike most fish, which have white flesh, the muscle tissue of tuna ranges from pink to dark red. The red coloration derives from myoglobin, an...
, barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
, snappers and jacks can be found around the area.
Slightly further south is Santa Rosa. The dive starts with a sandy bottom covered in soft corals, leading to a drop-off at 15m, descending to 50m. There is a good variety of reef fish in the shallows here, while further down you'll see fusiliers
Caesionidae
The fusilier fishes are a family, Caesionidae, of fishes in the order Perciformes. They are related to the snappers, but adapted for feeding on plankton, rather than on larger prey.They are cylindrical, streamlined fishes, of up to in length...
, catfish
Catfish
Catfishes are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the heaviest and longest, the Mekong giant catfish from Southeast Asia and the second longest, the wels catfish of Eurasia, to detritivores...
, jacks
Carangidae
Carangidae is a family of fish which includes the jacks, pompanos, jack mackerels, and scads.They are marine fish found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans...
, snapper
Lutjanidae
Snappers are a family of perciform fish, mainly marine but with some members inhabiting estuaries, feeding in freshwater. Some are important food fish. One of the best known is the red snapper....
s and sweetlips
Plectorhinchus
The sweetlips, Plectorhinchus, are a genus in the family Haemulidae, with 35 species found in fresh, brackish and salt waters. These fish have big fleshy lips and tend to live on coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific in small groups or pairs...
, among others.