Cuatro Islas

The Cuatro Islas Protected Landscape / Seascape is located in the Camotes Sea, Philippines. The combined land and marine protected area in the province of Leyte was established on 23 April 2000 and currently has a size of 125 km ². It was named after the island group Cuatro Islas, which includes the islands Digyo, Apid, Mahaba and Himokilan. The islands belong to the municipality of Inopacan and Hindang.

The reserve is located about 130 km west of Tacloban City. The island Apid has a land area of ​​35.6 ha, 20.3 ha and about Mahaba Digyo approximately 3.5 ha in 2002, lived on the islands 603 people in 115 households. Apid and Mahaba are former coral reefs that extend above the water surface. Both are covered with a dense bush vegetation and small trees, and they are surrounded by white sandy beaches. On both islands there are numerous fossilized coral reefs, which give an idea of ​​the history of the islands. Digyo consists of alluvial sand and coral is overgrown with a few coconut trees. To the four islands are smaller coral reefs, where 287 species of hard corals were found. On the four islands, there are no sources of fresh water.

In the surrounding waters can be of Borneo dolphin ( Lagenodelphis hosei ), watch East Pacific dolphin ( Stenella longirostris ) and the Indian pilot whale ( Globicephala macrorhynchus ). On Digyo also Nistgelege the green turtle (Chelonia mydas ) and the hawksbill turtle found ( Eretmochelys imbricata ). Around the coral reefs can be the Grey Reef Shark ( Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos ), white tip reef shark ( Triaenodon obesus) Blacktip reef shark ( Carcharhinus melanopterus ) and thresher sharks ( Alopias ) watch.

The archipelago can be reached via Baybay City or by means of a two-hour drive over Ormoc City. Another island Mahaba located in the waters of the province of Surigao del Norte.