SIETE PECADOS MARINE PARK IN PALAWAN BAGS BLUE PARK AWARD

(SPOT.ph) Palawan is known as a last frontier for a reason. Case in point: Siete Pecados Marine Park in Coron, Palawan, was just awarded a prestigious Blue Park Award for Marine Conservation during the Our Ocean Conference held in Athens, Greece, on Wednesday, April 17. The famous Palawan dive and snorkeling destination joins the list of notable Marine Protected Areas including the Galapagos Marine Reserve and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. Here's what you need to know about this huge win for Philippine marine conservation.

Also read:The Best Things to See and Do in Coron for Two Days10 Places to Stay in Coron for Any Type of Traveler10 Best Diving Spots in Cebu, Bohol, and Other Islands in the Visayas

What is the Blue Park Award?

The Blue Park Award is among the most prestigious recognitions a national marine park can receive. Conferred by the Marine Conservation Institute, it recognizes outstanding marine protected areas (MPAs) in the "right places" with the "right rules" and the "right management" to safeguard wildlife. The Blue Park standard is a benchmark for conservation effectiveness.

Aside from the prestige of being awarded a Blue Park Award, this honor also comes with funding leverage and ecotourism opportunities for Siete Pecados Marine Park. It also comes with a cash prize that will incentivize the push for proper marine conservation within the local government.

This is the Philippines' third Blue Park Award, and we are the first country to receive three Blue Park Awards. In addition to Siete Pecados Marine Park, Tubbataha Reef National Park was awarded the same honor in 2017, and Apo Reef National Park in 2022. 

What can you see in Siete Pecados Marine Park?

Siete Pecados Marine Park is a 1.8 square kilometer expanse of coastal ocean and seven limestone islets. It is currently managed and operated by the Coron Office of the Municipal Agriculturist. In Siete Pecados, guests can marvel at the vast area of protected coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows. This area has been documented as home to several threatened and endangered species, including hawksbill sea turtles, dugongs, humphead wrasse, and an endangered endemic coral species, Pectinia maxima. Siete Pecados is rich in live coral and has the highest species richness and biomass within the Calamianes Island protected area. 

This area is a local favorite for diving due to the sheer variety of marine life it offers. 

How to get to Siete Pecados Marine Park

Siete Pecados Marine Park is in Coron, Palawan. Cebu Pacific, AirAsia, and Philippine Airlines all have regular flights to Busuanga's Francisco B. Reyes Airport. From Busuanga, tourists can avail of van services that can transport them to Coron town proper. From here, they can hire tourist boats to bring them to Siete Pecados Marine Park.

For more information, visit Siete Picados Marine Park's Facebook page and the Marine Conservation Institute's website.

Also read: A Win for Mother Nature: Masungi Georeserve Bags Prestigious UN AwardPhilippines' Tubbataha Is One of the World's Best Scuba Diving Destinations

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2024-04-19T12:08:21Z dg43tfdfdgfd