Taal Lake
Encyclopedia
Taal Lake is a freshwater
lake in the province of Batangas
, on the island of Luzon
, Philippines
. The lake is situated within a caldera
formed by very large eruptions between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago. It is the country's third largest lake (the largest being Laguna de Bay
). Volcano Island, the location of Taal Volcano
's historical eruptions and responsible for the lake's sulfuric content, lies near the center of the lake. There is a crater lake
on Volcano Island, which is in Lake Taal, which is located on Luzon Island. That crater lake is the world's largest lake on an island in a lake on an island, and it in turn contains its own small island, Vulcan Point.
Taal Lake was once just an arm of Balayan Bay. However, after a series of major eruptions in the 18th century, Taal Lake's sole connection to the sea narrowed down into its sole draining river, the Pansipit River
. Several centuries of precipitation have diluted the lake's once saline water
s into freshwater.
Eruptions has also buried numerous lakeside towns by volcanic ash and submerged by rising lake waters. Lipa, Taal, Sala, Bauan and Tanauan were formerly located along Taal Lake. Presently, only three towns are on the lake's shore. Remnants of the old lakeside towns like buildings and walls are reported to be seen under the lake's waters.
Its most popular endemic species is the overharvested tawilis
, a freshwater sardine.
The lake has a freshwater-adapted population of trevally, Caranx ignobilis. These fish, also found in the Pansipit River, are locally called maliputo.
Taal Lake is also home to one of the world's rarest sea snakes, Hydrophis semperi
. This particular species is only one of two "true" sea snake species that are known to live entirely in freshwater.
Bull shark
s, Carcharhinus leucas, used to be part of the lake's once-diverse ecosystem. They were exterminated by the locals in the 1930s.
announced that a fish kill
at Taal Lake (January 2 to 4) caused the 50 metric tons or ₱
3.25-million (US$1=₱41) loss of cultured tilapia
in the villages of Leviste and Balakilong in Laurel
and in Barangay Aya and Barangay Quiling in Talisay
. 6,000 maliputo fishes (₱ 230,000) also died at Quiling. Toxic sulfur
and high level of hydrogen sulfide
in Ambulong while low dissolved oxygen
caused the deaths.
On May 30, 2011, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources announced a fish kill of 750 metric tons. According to the scientists, the onset of the rainy season brought a sudden drop on the water temperature, which lowered the oxygen levels on the lake.
In mid-2007, controversy ensued when the Korean
firm Jung Ang Interventure was given clearance to build a health spa on Volcano Island
itself along the lake's edge. Over the course of the next few weeks, several government officials expressed their disapproval of the construction project.
On June 28, the DENR suspended the Korean firm's environmental clearance certificate, rendering them incapable of pursuing further construction on the island until they secure other necessary permits. Because of the unpopular public reaction to the project, the Korean company's permit was permanently revoked by the DENR in early July 2007.
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
lake in the province of Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
, on the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The lake is situated within a caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
formed by very large eruptions between 500,000 and 100,000 years ago. It is the country's third largest lake (the largest being Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay
Laguna de Bay is the largest lake in the Philippines and the third largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia after Tonle Sap in Cambodia and Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia. It is on the island of Luzon between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north...
). Volcano Island, the location of Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Historical eruptions are concentrated on Volcano Island, an island near the middle of Lake Taal. The lake partially fills Taal Caldera, which was formed by powerful prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 to 5,380 BP...
's historical eruptions and responsible for the lake's sulfuric content, lies near the center of the lake. There is a crater lake
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
on Volcano Island, which is in Lake Taal, which is located on Luzon Island. That crater lake is the world's largest lake on an island in a lake on an island, and it in turn contains its own small island, Vulcan Point.
History
Pansipit River
The Pansipit River is a short river located in the Batangas province of the Philippines. The river is most notable for being the sole drainage outlet of the nearby Taal Lake...
. Several centuries of precipitation have diluted the lake's once saline water
Saline water
Saline water is a general term for water that contains a significant concentration of dissolved salts . The concentration is usually expressed in parts per million of salt....
s into freshwater.
Eruptions has also buried numerous lakeside towns by volcanic ash and submerged by rising lake waters. Lipa, Taal, Sala, Bauan and Tanauan were formerly located along Taal Lake. Presently, only three towns are on the lake's shore. Remnants of the old lakeside towns like buildings and walls are reported to be seen under the lake's waters.
Ecology
Because the lake was until recently connected to the sea, it is home to many endemic species that have evolved and adapted to the desalination of the lake's waters.Its most popular endemic species is the overharvested tawilis
Sardinella tawilis
Sardinella tawilis is a freshwater sardine found exclusively in the Philippines. It is unique in that it is the only member of the family Clupeidae that is known to exist entirely in freshwater. Locally, they are known in Filipino as tawilis.-Anatomy and Morphology:S...
, a freshwater sardine.
The lake has a freshwater-adapted population of trevally, Caranx ignobilis. These fish, also found in the Pansipit River, are locally called maliputo.
Taal Lake is also home to one of the world's rarest sea snakes, Hydrophis semperi
Hydrophis semperi
Hydrophis semperi, known in some circles as Garman's sea snake, is a rare sea snake found only in a single lake on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is noted for being one of two known species of sea snake that is known to be found almost-exclusively in freshwater.H...
. This particular species is only one of two "true" sea snake species that are known to live entirely in freshwater.
Bull shark
Bull shark
The bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, also known as Zambezi shark or unofficially known as Zambi in Africa and Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a shark common worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in rivers...
s, Carcharhinus leucas, used to be part of the lake's once-diverse ecosystem. They were exterminated by the locals in the 1930s.
Fish kill
On January 5, 2008, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic ResourcesBureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (Philippines)
The Philippines' Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources , abbreviated as BFAR, is an agency of the Philippine government under the Department of Agriculture responsible for the development, improvement, management and conservation of the Philippines' fisheries and aquatic resources.-History:When...
announced that a fish kill
Fish kill
The term fish kill, known also as fish die-off and as fish mortality, is a localized die-off of fish populations which may also be associated with more generalised mortality of aquatic life...
at Taal Lake (January 2 to 4) caused the 50 metric tons or ₱
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
3.25-million (US$1=₱41) loss of cultured tilapia
Tilapia
Tilapia , is the common name for nearly a hundred species of cichlid fish from the tilapiine cichlid tribe. Tilapia inhabit a variety of fresh water habitats, including shallow streams, ponds, rivers and lakes. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisan fishing in Africa and the...
in the villages of Leviste and Balakilong in Laurel
Laurel, Batangas
Laurel is a fourth class municipality in the Province of Batangas, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 34,953 people in 5,153 households...
and in Barangay Aya and Barangay Quiling in Talisay
Talisay
Talisay is the name of these places in the Philippines:*Talisay, Batangas*Talisay, Camarines Norte*Talisay City, Cebu*Talisay City, Negros Occidental*Talisay tree, the Philippine common name for Terminalia catappa....
. 6,000 maliputo fishes (₱ 230,000) also died at Quiling. Toxic sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
and high level of hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless, very poisonous, flammable gas with the characteristic foul odor of expired eggs perceptible at concentrations as low as 0.00047 parts per million...
in Ambulong while low dissolved oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
caused the deaths.
On May 30, 2011, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources announced a fish kill of 750 metric tons. According to the scientists, the onset of the rainy season brought a sudden drop on the water temperature, which lowered the oxygen levels on the lake.
Tourism
Regular tours of the lake are available to tourists. After crossing the lake, visitors travel to the top of Volcano Island on horseback. During their trip up and down the mountain, visitors are treated to a stunning view of the lake and its surroundings.In mid-2007, controversy ensued when the Korean
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
firm Jung Ang Interventure was given clearance to build a health spa on Volcano Island
Taal Volcano
Taal Volcano is a complex volcano located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. Historical eruptions are concentrated on Volcano Island, an island near the middle of Lake Taal. The lake partially fills Taal Caldera, which was formed by powerful prehistoric eruptions between 140,000 to 5,380 BP...
itself along the lake's edge. Over the course of the next few weeks, several government officials expressed their disapproval of the construction project.
On June 28, the DENR suspended the Korean firm's environmental clearance certificate, rendering them incapable of pursuing further construction on the island until they secure other necessary permits. Because of the unpopular public reaction to the project, the Korean company's permit was permanently revoked by the DENR in early July 2007.
External links
- Taal Lake at Global Nature Fund.
- Taal Lake at the Society for the Conservation of Philippine Wetlands, Inc.
- Trek to Taal Volcano. Guide to Taal Lake from Philippine Journeys.
- Some interesting Islands and Lakes