Lake Danao (Cebu)

Lake Danao Natural Park

The Danao Lake is a freshwater lake on the island Pacijan in the Philippines, which is part of the Philippine province of Cebu. The island Pacijan is part of the Camotes Islands, which lie to the east of the island of Cebu in the Camotes Sea. He is with an area of ​​260 hectares, the largest lake in the province of Cebu. The lake has a length of 5 km and an average water depth of 3 meters. In the lake is a small island that is covered with coconut trees.

The lake is supplied only by the local rainfall with fresh water, a regular outflow is not known. During heavy rain, the water level can rise up to 3 feet above normal. His Aqua vegetation is determined by the water lettuce ( Pistia stratiotes ), the Panicum hemizomon, Hydrilla sp. and the Water Hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes ). In the surrounding areas of the lake there are bigger coconut plantations and crop fields. Along the shore of the lake grow rare orchids and herbs that are harvested for medicinal purposes.

The lake has a large stock of tilapia, carp (Cyprinus carpio), the milkfish ( Chanos chanos ) and various crustaceans and shrimp species. A smaller stable population of the inguinal crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) lives in the Lake Danao, the last killing of a crocodile is known from 1971.

On December 24, 1965 hunting and bird sanctuary has been set up around the lake, this was incorporated on December 29, 1981 in the Iceland of Ponson, Poro, Pacihan Mangrove Swamp Forest Reserve. It was one of the first protected areas in the context of the Philippine law on protection of biodiversity ( NIPAS ) of 1992. In 1998, the protection of the northern part of the lake was expanded and the 5.63 km ² Lake Danao Natural Park established.