EI Nido Marine Reserve is located in the Philippines and covers about 96,000 hectares of land. Rich in flora and fauna, the park shows off beautiful limestone cliffs and white sand beaches that ought to be a visitor’s delight. The rich fauna of the reserve presents itself in the lush green forests of the region that house exotic species.
Of the several species that the reserve hosts, many are endemic or endangered. The most notable amongst the birds and ornithologist or bird watcher might love to see are the Palawan Peacock Pheasant and Palawan Hornbill. The reserve also hosts a few endemic species like the Palawan Tree Shaw and Palawan Stink Badger. Several species of endangered marine turtles may also be seen at El Nido.
The water bodies of the reserve have more than 800 species of fish and hundreds of corals and native “dugong” or sea cow makes an appearance sometimes. The main attraction of reserve is the Bacuit bay that is known to have around 30 dive sites. Fish species spotted here are butterfly fish, rabbit fish, angelfish, tiger fish, wrasses, parrotfish, and snappers.
The vegetation types covering the reserve include semi deciduous, mangrove forest, beach forest, Mimiloc, lagen and Pangulasian. Hundred species of corals, among which 45 belong to genera of hard coral are found on the island. The best time to visit the park is during the month of December to May.
Image Source: DiscoverPhilippines.Eu