| Taal Lake | |
|---|---|
| Satellite image showing Taal Lake with Volcano island within it | |
| Location | Batangas |
| Lake type | Caldera lake |
| Primary outflows | Pansipit River |
| Basin countries | Philippines |
| Max. length | 25 km (16 mi) |
| Max. width | 18 km (11 mi) |
| Surface area | 234.2 km2 (90.4 sq mi) |
| Shore length1 | 115 km (71 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Islands | Volcano Island |
| Settlements | Talisay, San Nicolas, Lipa City, Laurel, Tanauan City, Santa Teresita, Mataas na Kahoy, Balete, Cuenca, Alitagtag, and Agoncillo |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
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.
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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 waters 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.[1]
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, 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 sharks, Carcharhinus leucas, used to be part of the lake's once-diverse ecosystem. They were exterminated by the locals in the 1930s.
Jaguar Guapote, Parachromis managuensis, was “illegally” introduced.[2]
On January 5, 2008, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources 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.[3]
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.[4]
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 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.[5][6]
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.[7] Because of the unpopular public reaction to the project, the Korean company's permit was permanently revoked by the DENR in early July 2007.[8]
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