Philippines - Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary

Turtle Islands is part of the Sulu Archipelago which is composed of approximately 400 islands of varying shapes and sizes. It is located at the southwestern tip of the Philippines, about 1,000 km southwest of Manila. The Protected Area is situated between coordinates 4º 30’ and 5º 20’ North Latitude and 199º 25’ and 121º 52’ East Longitude. On the west and north, it is bounded by the Sulu and Mindanao Seas, and on the east and south, by the Celebes Sea.The group of Islands, namely, Boan, Lihiman, Langaan, Great Bakkungan, Taganak, and Baguan. It has a total aggregate area of 241,495.92 hectares of which 298.27 hectares correspond to the land portions of the Sanctuary. The smallest Island, the Langaan measures about 7 hectares, while the largest, the Taganak Island, is about 124 hectares. Generally, the TIWS topography ranges from flat, low hills and plateau, to high topographic relief features reaching as high as 150 meters above sea level.