Bantayan Island is an attractive island in the Visayan Sea. Visayas islands srrounded the Visayan Sea. Masbate is in the north of the Visayan Sea.
Panay is on the west, Leyte is on the east, and Cebu and Negros are on the south. It has the Sibuyan Sea to the northwest, the Samar Sea to the northeast, and the Guimaras Strait to the southwest.
It is the connector of the Panay Gulf, the Taon Strait to the south, and the Camotes Sea to the southeast. The Jintotolo Channel creates all the connections. There are many facts about Bantayan island.
The largest island in this sea is Cebu province’s Bantayan. In the Philippines, the sea is a key fishing ground for sardines, mackerel, and herring.
The Western Visayas will account for 20% of the Philippines’ total sardine production. The sea covers an area of about 10,000 sq km and has a border with 22 municipalities.
Since 1989, Fisheries Administrative Order 167 has established a closed season. This season starts in some sea areas from November 15 to March 15.
In this article, I want to write about this island of the Philippines named Bantayan. Let’s know the details about this island in the Visayan Sea.
9 Facts about Bantayan Island
There are some curious facts that people want to know about Bantayan. We have tried to discuss these facts in detail about this place in the Visayan Sea.
1. This Place is Beautiful
The location of Bantayan is in the Visayan Sea, Philippines. It has an area of 108.77 square kilometers. This place in the sea is a charming but breathtaking travel destination.
You can discover this underrated travel destination of Cebu, Philippines. It has many things to offer to its visitors around the world.
So thousands of visitors visit this place every year. Many people love and search for the sun, sea, and sand without the big crowds. They add this place to their travel bucket list.
The location of this place is in the northernmost tip of Cebu. It offers stunning beaches and eco-tourism sites where you can do sightseeing.
You can also do island-hopping, cliff diving, swimming, kayaking, and even skydiving. The islands are the busy shipping lanes for vessels and ferries.
The Vessels and ferries come from Mindanao or Cebu City on their way to Manila. The islets are small, green, and low, indistinguishable from each other.
This beautiful place of the Philippines has a significant amount of wild area. The country has many acts to protect its wilderness, including this island.
This picturesque has many islands, including the virgin and Hilantagaan Islands. Visitors can have a wonderful time in these places.
It has many beaches, including Kota Beach, Marikaban Beach, and Paradise Beach. These beaches can bring a heavenly feeling to the minds of the visitors.
2. Coral Reef of This Area
Of the roughly 500 kinds of coral known worldwide, about 400 are in the Philippines. But their future is hovering due to destructive fishing.
Blast fishing and cyanide fishing are responsible for the destruction. It destroys much of the ecosystem, including the coral reefs.
More than 50 – 70 percent are in threat; Southeast Asian coral reefs are in worse condition. The figure for the coral reef under trouble is lesser than 90 in the Philippines.
3. The Fishing Place of Cebu
It is a beach destination but has a fishing community. You can consider this island as the fishing grounds of Cebu. Fresh fish goes all around the Philippines from this place.
If you search, you will find fresh fish of Bantayan in the towns and provinces as far as Manila and Mindanao. There are a mentionable number of people who are fishermen.
4. Mangroves of This Region
Mangroves are swab-tolerant, woody, seed-bearing shops set up in tropical and tropical areas. These types of forests are subject to periodic tidal alluvion.
The Philippines has over 40 species of mangrove plants. But there are only about 70 mangrove species worldwide.
This southeast Asian country is one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet. The mangrove ecosystem of this region is different and is home to many catcalls.
It is also home to fish, mammals, crustaceans, and other creatures. You may know that mangroves give an essential nursery for fish and shellfish.
Each hectare of mangrove can produce food for a kg of marine organisms. Mangroves also provide other essential functions.
These are precluding soil corrosion and guarding plages against typhoons and strong swells. Mangroves give many other products and services like drugs and alcohol.
It also provides casing accouterments and is an area for exploration and tourism. Many people are well aware of all these known benefits.
But the state of mangroves within the Philippines is dim. In the early 1900s, there were roughly sq km of mangroves, but there were only about sq km.
Many mangrove areas became the victim of destruction to make fishponds. Many people used mangrove trees for the casing of structure accouterments.
Everyone should come forward to protect the mangrove areas of the Philippines. Not only the people but also the government of this country have to take proper measures.
It is now illegal to cut down mangrove trees in Bantayan. Governments and community associations have planted many mangrove trees in this region. There is a stopgap that the unborn mangroves will return to their nutritional status.
5. Time You Need to Explore This Place
It is difficult to tell how many days you may need to stay in this majestic place. You can consider it as one valuable piece of information about Bantayan island. Most people visit Bantayan for a day tour.
But I recommend at least 2-3 days or longer, so you can enjoy it better. I also suggest you leave Cebu as early as possible, as the island is a few hours away.
6. Language of The People of This Island
A large number of people speak the Bantayanon language. It is the regional language of the people of this island. It is also one of the languages of the Bisayan language family.
It has a close relationship with Waray and Hiligaynon. You can consider the language as fascinating information about Bantayan Island.
7. Climate on Bantayan
The climate in Bantayan is hot, rough, windy, and heavy. You can consider the average temperatures in Bantayan as good. Over time, the temperature generally varies from 77 °F to 89 °F.
But sometimes, you may see an alternative to this range of temperature. Temperature goes below 75 °F or above 91 °F sometimes. It is one of the fascinating facts about Bantayan Island.
Temperatures remain well much of the year but become hot in the summer and cold in the winter. But there is a low chance of rain or snow throughout the year, considering the humidity.
8. How to Get to This Island
You will not see any direct connection from Cebu City to this place. Follow the instruction given below to go to Bantayan.
- First, you have to reach Cebu from Manila by plane.
- After arriving in Cebu, take a Bus to the North Bus Terminal.
- At the North Bus Terminal, take a Ceres Bus to go to Hagnaya Port.
- Catch the Super Shuttle ferry or Island Shipping goes to Santa Fe Port.
9. How many people live on Bantayan Island?
You may have already known many things about this place of the Visayan Sea, Philippines. A large number of people live in this place. Many of them are fishermen. According to the data from 2015, it has a population of 145,436.
Conclusion
These are the nine valuable facts about Bantayan Island. These facts may help you during your visit to this place. It is probably one of the most idyllic destinations in the Philippines.
It has unspoiled beaches, heritage structures, beautiful natural formations, and must-visit eco-tourism sites. Seafood is abundant in Bantayan. The island’s plentiful seafood makes it a tropical getaway.