The Beauty of TAAL VOLCANO

Posted by Grace Chemma on May 2nd, 2009

Philippines Taal Volcano Old Crater
Laments of an Old Crater: This is one of the most photographed volcanoes in the world. This is part of Taal volcano’s group of craters. This crater is one of the most visible and most photographed crater of Taal Volcano. However, this crater is one of the oldest and the most inactive of the Taal Volcano island craters.
Shot taken at 25,000 ft above the province of Laguna, east of Taal Lake.
Photo by storm-crypt

Taal Volcano is an active volcano located about 70-km south of Manila inside a lake, it was formed through one major eruption at the center of a lake, and since the lake itself is the crater of a prehistoric volcano, and within the lake, other eruptions have occurred producing more craters and micro-lakes. The vista from the rim is unrivaled.

Philippines Taal Volcano
Tagaytay, Taal Lake and Volcano Island: This is primarily a photo of the Taal Lake — which is a lake in the Island of Luzon, Philippines.The photo that justifies the title of a small island(that tiny speck on the crater lake), within a lake(the small crater lake), in an island(taal volcano island), in a lake(taal lake). The foreground is the aerial view of the cliff area of Tagaytay City, in the background is Taal Lake, the volcano island, and Mt. Maculot in the distance. This shot was taken approximately 5,000 feet over the town of Amadeo, Cavite.
Photo by storm-crypt

Although the Taal Volcano has not erupted since 1977, it has erupted 33 times and these were notable enough to earn it a tag by the UN on the list of the world’s Decade Volcanoes. Many people still travel to the area to see the magnificent sites set to a backdrop of vegetation and wildlife in Batangas City and are willing to pay the cost and risk for a rent house to take in the views of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape in its true glory.

One area that tourists enjoy visiting immensely as part of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape is Crater Lake where many enjoy bathing. Unfortunately the sudden influx of tourists recently has led to a decline in the aquatic fish who call the area home and conservationists are beginning to take action. However, there will soon be a large tree planting along the beaches of Taal Lake to combat the problem along with Volcano Island. Additionally, an area will be deemed a protected area to encourage friendly eco-tourism to keep the area ripe and environmentally diverse for years to come.

Philippines Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano: A hazy view of the famous Taal Volcano, in the Philippines, it has been called the smallest active volcano in the world. It is located about 70-km south of Manila on an island inside a lake called Taal Lake. What makes Taal Volcano more unique is the fact that the volcano itself has a lake of its own inside its crater which is called the “Crater Lake.”
Photo by danielygo

Inside the main caldera,on volcano island, there is yet another lake, called the “Crater Lake.” The highly sulfuric lake may have medicinal properties. People do swim in it, Some have even SCUBA dived in it.

Philippines Taal Volcano Simmering Crater Lake
Simmering and Deadly: Viewed from northern part of Taal Volcano’s crater rim. This is the simmering crater lake of one of the most active volcanos in the world. In the distance is Taal Lake, with the outline of Mt. Maculot( A mountain in the province of Batangas, Philippines).

Folk stories has it that the whole Taal Lake (part of it can be seen in the distance) surrounding the Taal Volcano island, is the crater of the original volcano itself(hinting that this was once a super volcano judging by the size of Taal Lake — if the story is true).

Inside the main caldera,on volcano island, there is yet another lake, called the “Crater Lake.” The highly sulfuric lake may have medicinal properties. People do swim in it, Some have even SCUBA dived in it. The crater lake can be accessed by going around the crater to the west side of the island.

Tourists and visitors normally go to the town of Talisay, a few kilometers down the slopes of Tagaytay city(about 2 hours from Manila). Boats will then take visitors to the volcano island(where this crater lake is) for approximately 45 minutes. For those who are rich, disabled, ederly or plain lazy — they normally take horses up the slopes to the viewing deck, near where this shot was taken. By horses, the viewing deck is only about 20 minutes from the shore(where the boats dock). By foot, the same distance can be covered in an hour or so. During the summer, the path can be very dusty. A face/dust mask will be very handy for the trip.
Photo by storm-crypt

Initiatives such as these are what have earned the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape that includes over twenty areas its protected status and a nomination as an area of outstanding universal area. Due to the many unique formations left behind by the active Taal Volcano there are many geological wonders that cannot be found so densely relative to each other at any other area in the world. These geological hotspots are one of the main reasons for the wide biodiversity of plant and aquatic fish life that inhabit the general area.

Adding to the area’s charm is the fact that no other volcano’s eruption can be matched with the Taal Volcano or the resulting landscaped area due to the fact that it originated from the center of Lake Crater in prehistoric times. Thus, this phenomenon cannot be viewed or experienced at any other location in the world which is partially the reason why tourists are so prevalent in the area at any time of the year.

National Geological Monument

Taal Volcano Protected Landscape was declared Philippines’s National Geological Monument (together with Chocolate Hills, and Hundred Islands National Park) and was also proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2006.

Philippines Taal Volcano Mouth
The Mouth of Taal Volcano: This is the real Taal volcano… its different from what the post cards show. There was sulfur in the air here… and they say when you swim there, it will instantly bleach your clothes.
Photo by deckchua

Philippines Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano
Photo by pommypaul

Philippines Taal Volcano Lake
Taal Volcano & Taal Lake
Photo by pommypaul

UNESCO Tentative List

Justification for Outstanding Universal Value

The lake and its environs is home to many species of flora and fauna a number of which are endemic to the lake like the “Tawilis” (Sardinella tawilis), the only fresh water sardine in the world and the Taal Lake Seasnake (Hydrophis semperi or known to locals as Duhol), the only freshwater sea snake in the world. The snake still has salt glands to eliminate excess salt, despite being in a freshwater habitat. Other endemic forms include blue green algae, diatom, ostracod, sponge, reptile and fishes. There are many other species, which until now have yet to be documented, and whose natural histories have not been fully studied.

Philippines Taal Volcano Lake
Taal Lake
Photo by nepal23

Philippines Taal Volcano Crater
Taal Crater: That small rock in the middle of the lake — is technically an island, on a lake, in an island, on a lake. That rock island is in the middle of the crater lake of Taal’s volcano island. The volcano island is in the middle of Taal Lake.
Photo by storm-crypt

Getting There

There are three main roads that link Tagaytay City to the lake and the volcano. One is Diokno Highway near the border to Nasugbu, Batangas; the other is just behind the Tagaytay Rotunda (but this is a very steep road); and the most preferred way is the Ligaya Drive near the Tagaytay-Sta. Rosa road, which leads to the town of Talisay, Batangas.

Talisay is the major jump-off point where boats are available to reach the volcano island.

Article Sources

WIKIPEDIA – Taal Volcano
UNESCO World Heritage – Taal Volcano Protected Landscape, Batangas
Taal – a Decade Volcano