Puerto Princesa City is the capital of Palawan and home to the Philippines' candidate for the New Seven Wonders of Nature: the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, reputed to be the world's longest navigable subterranean river.
Aside from the aforementioned 22,202 hectare national park, there are also numerous other tourist attractions like the Crocodile Farm, the Butterfly Garden and Honda Bay.
Puerto Princesa is not as urbanized as other cities in the Philippines (no McDonalds nor Starbucks). Tricycles are the primary mode of public transport. Other modes of public transport are Multicabs (small jeepney-like vehicles) and tourist vans.
I arrived at Puerto Princesa late in the morning. After a rather expensive and so-so lunch at a very well-recommended restaurant, I proceeded to the first stop of the day via a hired tricycle.
Hiring a tricycle is recommended if your route consists of short and frequent stops. You negotiate with the driver the route, the stops and, most especially, the duration of the trip. The driver of the tricycle I hired requested for additional payment on top of our agreed rate since what was supposed to have been a two-hour round trip took six hours.
There are alternate means of transportation in the form of Multicabs plying fixed routes to the outer barangays. Fares on these vehicels are much more affordable. However, these do not follow a fixed nor regular trip schedule. In the Philippines, vehicles leave the terminal only when they are overloaded. Thus, you may be waiting by the roadside for a significant amount of time.
First Stop of the Day: Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center
My first stop of Day 1 is the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center in Bgy. Irawan. I arrived there during their lunch break (strictly enforced from 11:30am to 1:30pm) and needed to wait until 1:30pm when the facility re-opened before beginning the tour of the facility. There are sheds and souvenir shops in the area where one can pass the time. Entrance fee is PhP40.
Built in 1987 as the Crocodile Farming Institute with assistance from the Japan International Cooperative Agency, it was renamed a few years back to more completely describe the activities of the facility. Its main objectives are the conservation of the populations of Philippine Crocodile and Saltwater Crocodile, and the development of suitable crocodile farming technology to allow commercial use. Aside from these, it is also where locals bring injured wildlife for rehabilitation and eventual re-introduction to the wild.
The tour begins with the exhibit of glass-enclosed enclosed skeleton and wall-mounted skin of a very large crocodile (a saltwater crocodile, if I remember correctly) that ate at least one child in the Southern areas of Palawan. The guide mentioned that the skin was no longer commercially usable as the crocodile was much too old when it was killed (i.e. the skin was no longer pliable and cannot be effectively shaped).
Also on display were some fragments of a sperm whale skeleton recovered by environmentalists off the coast of Palawan.
From the exhibits, we then proceeded to the hatchery (also referred to as "the Hatchling House) where hatchlings were kept in a large and elaborate network of bathtubs (formally referred to as "rearing tanks"). The hatchlings were less than 30cm from snout to tail.
Rub-a-dub-dub, Two Crocs in the Tub
100mm,
Prior to exiting the Hatchling House, the guide advised the us to check our belongings and ensure that everything is secured (no dangling items). She said that crocodiles are opportunistic feeders and will pretty much snap at anything that they think is food. The next stop of the tour was the main holding pen where mature crocodiles were kept.
A metal bridge allows visitors to observe the crocodiles from above. A huge specimen was kept separate from the others. We were told that this particular specimen ate at least ten people in Surigao (an island in northeast Mindanao) and was isolated to ensure that the other, much smaller crocodiles are not injured nor eaten. As luck would have it, I left my polarizer in Manila. The huge crocodile was feeling the heat and remained completely submerged in the murky water of its pen while I was there.
The other crocodiles were kept together and were free to move around the much larger area. They do not appear to exceed 6ft in length. This suggests to me that they are mature Philippine Crocodiles.
These four specimens depicted below are all residents of the "gen-pop" area of the main holding pen. As mentioned earlier, I believe they are all Philippine Crocodiles. If this is inaccurate, please send me a message so that I can place the correct information.
I guess it was a hot day, as pretty much all of the crocodiles had their mouths open. The crocodile in the last picture was the only one I spotted with its mouth closed. Crocodiles do not and cannot sweat. They regulate their body temperature by opening their mouths.
Upon leaving the main holding area, the guide leaves and I am free to explore the mini-zoo at the back of the facility where some specimens of Palawan's indigenous wildlife are kept.
Upon leaving the bridge, I take a right turn to go to the mini-zoo. An ostrich enclosure is straight ahead from the bridge and I made a note to myself to drop by after exploring the mini-zoo.
The first enclosure in the mini-zoo housed a pair of sleeping binturongs (aka Palawan bearcat). These creatures are nocturnal and I refrained from making much noise. I just snapped the pic below and proceeded to the next enclosure.
Rock-a-bye Bearcats
100mm, f/2.8, 1/80 s, ISO 400
The next enclosure houses a lone musang (aka Asian Palm Civet). This little guy's and his relatives' droppings are the source of the most absurdly expensive coffee beans in the world, Civet Coffee (kopi luwak in Bahasa Indonesia and kape alamid in Filipino). While musangs are believed to be nocturnal (not much is known about its behavior), this particular specimen was awake and active. It heard the clicks of Tigress' shutter and paused to investigate the source of the sound.
Musang
100mm, f/2.8. 1/60 s, ISO400
The last populated enclosure housed a pair of Philippine Serpent Eagles. These eagles are endemic to the Philippines though it is very similar to, and sometimes classified as, Crested Serpent Eagles.
Philippine Serpent Eagle
100mm, f/4, 1/500 s, ISO 1600
However, due to my excitement to go to Palawan, I neglected to recharge Tigress' battery and was greeted the dreaded "Change battery" message. Good thing I had a companion from whom I can borrow a DSLR.
Other enclosures were empty in light of ongoing renovation to improve the facility.
After the mini-zoo, I proceeded to the ostrich area to take pictures of the ostriches using my companion's camera.
Second Stop of the Day: Palawan Butterfly Garden
Aside from the aforementioned 22,202 hectare national park, there are also numerous other tourist attractions like the Crocodile Farm, the Butterfly Garden and Honda Bay.
Puerto Princesa is not as urbanized as other cities in the Philippines (no McDonalds nor Starbucks). Tricycles are the primary mode of public transport. Other modes of public transport are Multicabs (small jeepney-like vehicles) and tourist vans.
I arrived at Puerto Princesa late in the morning. After a rather expensive and so-so lunch at a very well-recommended restaurant, I proceeded to the first stop of the day via a hired tricycle.
Hiring a tricycle is recommended if your route consists of short and frequent stops. You negotiate with the driver the route, the stops and, most especially, the duration of the trip. The driver of the tricycle I hired requested for additional payment on top of our agreed rate since what was supposed to have been a two-hour round trip took six hours.
There are alternate means of transportation in the form of Multicabs plying fixed routes to the outer barangays. Fares on these vehicels are much more affordable. However, these do not follow a fixed nor regular trip schedule. In the Philippines, vehicles leave the terminal only when they are overloaded. Thus, you may be waiting by the roadside for a significant amount of time.
First Stop of the Day: Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center
My first stop of Day 1 is the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center in Bgy. Irawan. I arrived there during their lunch break (strictly enforced from 11:30am to 1:30pm) and needed to wait until 1:30pm when the facility re-opened before beginning the tour of the facility. There are sheds and souvenir shops in the area where one can pass the time. Entrance fee is PhP40.
Built in 1987 as the Crocodile Farming Institute with assistance from the Japan International Cooperative Agency, it was renamed a few years back to more completely describe the activities of the facility. Its main objectives are the conservation of the populations of Philippine Crocodile and Saltwater Crocodile, and the development of suitable crocodile farming technology to allow commercial use. Aside from these, it is also where locals bring injured wildlife for rehabilitation and eventual re-introduction to the wild.
The tour begins with the exhibit of glass-enclosed enclosed skeleton and wall-mounted skin of a very large crocodile (a saltwater crocodile, if I remember correctly) that ate at least one child in the Southern areas of Palawan. The guide mentioned that the skin was no longer commercially usable as the crocodile was much too old when it was killed (i.e. the skin was no longer pliable and cannot be effectively shaped).
Also on display were some fragments of a sperm whale skeleton recovered by environmentalists off the coast of Palawan.
From the exhibits, we then proceeded to the hatchery (also referred to as "the Hatchling House) where hatchlings were kept in a large and elaborate network of bathtubs (formally referred to as "rearing tanks"). The hatchlings were less than 30cm from snout to tail.
Rub-a-dub-dub, Two Crocs in the Tub
100mm,
Prior to exiting the Hatchling House, the guide advised the us to check our belongings and ensure that everything is secured (no dangling items). She said that crocodiles are opportunistic feeders and will pretty much snap at anything that they think is food. The next stop of the tour was the main holding pen where mature crocodiles were kept.
A metal bridge allows visitors to observe the crocodiles from above. A huge specimen was kept separate from the others. We were told that this particular specimen ate at least ten people in Surigao (an island in northeast Mindanao) and was isolated to ensure that the other, much smaller crocodiles are not injured nor eaten. As luck would have it, I left my polarizer in Manila. The huge crocodile was feeling the heat and remained completely submerged in the murky water of its pen while I was there.
The other crocodiles were kept together and were free to move around the much larger area. They do not appear to exceed 6ft in length. This suggests to me that they are mature Philippine Crocodiles.
These four specimens depicted below are all residents of the "gen-pop" area of the main holding pen. As mentioned earlier, I believe they are all Philippine Crocodiles. If this is inaccurate, please send me a message so that I can place the correct information.
I guess it was a hot day, as pretty much all of the crocodiles had their mouths open. The crocodile in the last picture was the only one I spotted with its mouth closed. Crocodiles do not and cannot sweat. They regulate their body temperature by opening their mouths.
Upon leaving the main holding area, the guide leaves and I am free to explore the mini-zoo at the back of the facility where some specimens of Palawan's indigenous wildlife are kept.
Upon leaving the bridge, I take a right turn to go to the mini-zoo. An ostrich enclosure is straight ahead from the bridge and I made a note to myself to drop by after exploring the mini-zoo.
The first enclosure in the mini-zoo housed a pair of sleeping binturongs (aka Palawan bearcat). These creatures are nocturnal and I refrained from making much noise. I just snapped the pic below and proceeded to the next enclosure.
Rock-a-bye Bearcats
100mm, f/2.8, 1/80 s, ISO 400
The next enclosure houses a lone musang (aka Asian Palm Civet). This little guy's and his relatives' droppings are the source of the most absurdly expensive coffee beans in the world, Civet Coffee (kopi luwak in Bahasa Indonesia and kape alamid in Filipino). While musangs are believed to be nocturnal (not much is known about its behavior), this particular specimen was awake and active. It heard the clicks of Tigress' shutter and paused to investigate the source of the sound.
Musang
100mm, f/2.8. 1/60 s, ISO400
The last populated enclosure housed a pair of Philippine Serpent Eagles. These eagles are endemic to the Philippines though it is very similar to, and sometimes classified as, Crested Serpent Eagles.
Philippine Serpent Eagle
100mm, f/4, 1/500 s, ISO 1600
However, due to my excitement to go to Palawan, I neglected to recharge Tigress' battery and was greeted the dreaded "Change battery" message. Good thing I had a companion from whom I can borrow a DSLR.
Other enclosures were empty in light of ongoing renovation to improve the facility.
After the mini-zoo, I proceeded to the ostrich area to take pictures of the ostriches using my companion's camera.
Second Stop of the Day: Palawan Butterfly Garden
