Babuyan Islands


The Babuyan Islands, also known as the Babuyan Group of Islands, is an archipelago in the Philippines, located in the Luzon Strait north of the main island of Luzon and south of Taiwan via Bashi Channel to Luzon Strait. The archipelago consists of five major islands and their surrounding smaller islands. These main islands are, counterclockwise starting from northeast, Babuyan, Calayan, Dalupiri, Fuga, and Camiguin. The Babuyan Islands are separated from Luzon by the Babuyan Channel, and from the province of Batanes to the north by the Balintang Channel.

Geography

The archipelago, comprising 24 volcanic-coralline islands, has a total area of about. The largest of
these is Calayan with an area of, while the highest peak in the island group is Mount Pangasun on Babuyan Claro.

Islands

The following are the islands of Babuyan and their adjoining islets and rocks, along with land areas and highest elevation:
Major islandAdjacent isletsAreaHighest elevation
Babuyan Claro
Calayan
  • Panuitan Island
  • Wyllie Rocks
    • Camiguin
  • Guinapac Rocks
  • Pamoctan Island
  • Pinon Island
    • Dalupiri Island
  • Irao Islet
    • Fuga Island
  • Barit Island
  • Mabag Island
    • Didicas Island
    Balintang Islands

    Geology

    The eastern islands of the archipelago are part of the Luzon Volcanic Arc. Three volcanoes from two of the islands have erupted in historical times - Camiguin de Babuyanes on Camiguin Island, Babuyan Claro Volcano and Smith Volcano on Babuyan Island.
    Another small volcanic island located just NE of Camiguin Island, Didicas Volcano on Didicas Island, became a permanent island only after emerging and rising to over above sea level in 1952.

    Flora and fauna

    All of the islands within the island group are classified by Haribon Foundation and BirdLife International as key biodiversity areas, or sites with outstanding universal value due to its geographic and biologic importance. All of the islands within the island group have never been part of any large landmass, and thus have unique flora and fauna, most of which are found nowhere else. A research conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have found at least 5 faunal regions in the area, one of the highest density of separate faunal regions in the world. The islands is also home to the most critically endangered bird species in the Philippines, the Calayan rail, and the most critically endangered snake species in the Philippines, the Ross' wolf snake. The island group is also a congregation site for endangered humpback whales, one of the only few of its kind in Southeast Asia. Due to its immense value to the natural world and Philippine biological diversity, various scientific and conservation groups have been lobbying for its declaration as a national park and its inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
    Humpback whales have re-colonized into the area and the Babuyan became the only wintering ground for the species in the Philippines although historical records among Babuyan Islands have not been confirmed.

    Government

    The whole archipelago is administered under the province of Cagayan with Babuyan, Calayan, Camiguin, and Dalupiri comprising the municipality of Calayan while Fuga is under the municipality of Aparri.
    Babuyan and Dalupiri are themselves individual barangays in Calayan municipality, respectively named Babuyan Claro and Dalupiri, while Fuga Island is also an individual barangay, also named Fuga Island, in Aparri.