Verde Island, Marine reserve island in Batangas City, Philippines.
Verde Island is an island in the strait between Luzon and Mindoro, within Batangas province in the Philippines. Its highest point reaches about 300 meters above sea level, and the surrounding waters are protected as a marine reserve to safeguard the coral reefs and fish populations below.
Verde Island remained largely isolated for centuries until a European solar energy project in the late 1980s brought electricity to its small settlement. That change had a lasting effect on how people lived and worked on the island day to day.
The people here practice fishing as a traditional way of life, relying on the surrounding waters for their livelihoods and sustenance. Daily life remains closely tied to the sea and its rhythms.
The island is reached by boat from Batangas City Port, and the crossing time varies depending on which type of boat you take. It is worth checking departure times in advance, as services can be limited outside peak season.
Scientists have identified the waters around Verde Island as the place with the highest concentration of marine species per unit of area anywhere on the planet. This makes the strait one of the most studied stretches of ocean in the world.
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