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ASEAN Heritage Parks

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

The Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the Sulu Archipelago, located at the southwestern tip of the Philippines, about 1,000 kilometres southwest of Manila. It is known to be the only major nesting habitat of Green Sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the Philippines, the only major nesting ground in the whole ASEAN region, and the 11th major nesting site in the world. In a recent survey in 2023, a total of 19,588 complete nests of green sea turtles were recorded.

Turtle Islands was identified as Extremely High (EH) for biodiversity conservation when it was proclaimed as a protected area under Republic Act (RA) 7586 on 26 August 1999 as amended by RA 11038 also known as Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) on 24 July 2018. In addition, Turtle Islands was declared a Turtle Island Heritage Protected Area (TIHPA) through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of Malaysia on 31 May 1996.

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Location
Located between coordinates 4º 30’ and 5º 20’ North Latitude and 199º 25’ and 121º 52’ East Longitude; it is a municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, and it is an archipelago with a rocky islet and six small islands: Taganak, Baguan, Langaan, Boan, Lihiman, and Great Bakkungan.
Area
242,958 Hectares
Date declared as an AHP
19 September 2024
Other international designations
Turtle Islands Heritage Protected Area, Indian Ocean and South-East Asia Marine Sea Turtle Site Network
Habitat types
coastal and beach areas for turtle nesting, seagrass beds, coral reefs
Contact Information

Unique Flora

281 species reported, the highest number seen in Baguan (182) and the least in Bakkungan (67); presence of macrobenthic flora mixed with seagrasses, with the seagrass community represented mainly by pioneer species such as Halophila ovalis, Cymodocea rotundata, Halodule pinifolia, Halod. uninervis, and Syringodium isoetifolium; the seagrasses are intermixed with seaweed populations such as Halimeda macroloba, Udotea geppii, and Caulerpa serrulata; Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta, and Phaeophyta; at least 12 species of mangroves belonging to seven families: Arecaceae (Nypa fruticans), Avicenniaceae (Avicennia marina), Combretaceae (Lumnitzera littorea), Euphorbiaceae (Excoecaria agallocha), Meliaceae (Xylocarpus granatum, Xylocarpus moluccensis), Rhizophoraceae (Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Ceriops tagal, Rhizophora apiculata, Rhizophora mucronata), and Sonneratiaceae (Sonneratia alba, Sonneratia caseolaris).

Unique Fauna

Reef Fishes: Caesionidae, Scaridae, Pomacentridae

Birds: IUCN Vulnerable Grey Imperial Pigeon Ducula pickeringii, the near threatened Mantanani Scops Owl (Otus mantananensis), Philippine

Megapode (Megapodius cumingii), black-naped tern

Mammals: large fruit bat (Pteropus hypomelanus), Philippine gray island flying fox (P. speciosus), smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata ), 

Marine Turtles: green turtle (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)

Other Reptiles: there are 12 other reptile species in the Turtle Islands – Pacific bluetail skink (Emoia coeruleocauda), Malayan box turtle, Species from Family Gekkonidae, flat-tailed gecko, and Tokay gecko

Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary is a premier ecotourism destination for its globally significant green turtle nesting grounds and rich biodiversity. Visitors can engage in sustainable activities like turtle-watching, scuba diving, snorkeling, birdwatching, and nature walks through pristine coastal forests and mangroves.

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