Collaborative research puts mantas on the map in the Philippines
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY— a new collaborative scientific study led by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and in cooperation with partners and the public has compiled a national population database for manta rays and has identified four hotspots for the species in the Philippines.
Read MoreLAMAVE is launching the Northwestern Palawan Turtle Nesting Project in November 2022
The Turtle Nesting Project will initially focus on the municipalities in the northwest of Palawan, with the main base being in San Vicente. LAMAVE is supporting and amplifying the impact and work of the local POs and stakeholders, bringing people together, providing technical knowledge and expertise and providing opportunities for enhancing local capacity and professionalizing local teams and eco-tourism guides.
Read MoreThe Typhoon and the Seaweed Farmers
In December 2021, we launched a fundraiser asking you to support communities affected by Typhoon Odette including seaweed farmers in the remote island municipality of Cagayancillo, Palawan, Philippines. You responded and together we raised ~795,000PHP (~USD$15,000). In February of this year our team travelled to Cagayancillo to carry out the on-the-ground efforts. LAMAVE Director Sally Snow, shares an insight into the journey…
Read MoreHumans of #TyphoonOdette - Jacky & Virginia Cuevas
“My grandkid told me “grandma, let’s leave now”, worried the strong winds would destroy the house. So we evacuated that very night… We didn’t wait too long to clean up whatever’s left of my house because it was everywhere. But we were only able to retrieve pillows, some blankets, and a few clothes.”…
Read MoreHumans of Typhoon Odette - Andy Leonor
“We lost our livelihoods again because of Super Typhoon Odette. Nawalan kami ng hanapbuhay dahil kay Odette. I used to work in tourism here in Puerto Princesa but my job was affected by the pandemic. I looked for an alternative source to be able to survive, but then the typhoon came. It has been really difficult. I don’t know what to do anymore. So na Nahihirapan na ako. Hindi ko na alam kung anong gagawin ko. I don’t know how to start over.”
Read MoreAll LAMAVE team members are safe after #TyphoonOdette (Rai).
The team in Puerto Princesa City Palawan have just received access to communications through SMART (Wed 22 Dec)…
Read MoreWhale sharks: what science reveals
We round up eight years of LAMAVE’s research on the iconic whale shark. The whale shark – also called butanding, tuki, tiki tiki, tawiki in local dialects - is a national icon of the Philippines. As we reach the end of 2019 and almost 8 years since LAMAVE first started studying whale sharks in the Philippines, we round up what we have learnt about these incredible sharks…
Read MoreWhale sharks on the move in Southeast Asia highlight the need for further collaboration in the conservation of the species
Whale sharks tracked moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines have tracked whale sharks moving between the Philippines and Malaysia, and Indonesia, using satellite tags, photo-identification and citizen science…
Read MorePalawan – The paradise of the Philippines
I’m back. Once again I find myself back in this crazy and beautiful country of the Philippines. Where travelling from one place to another sometimes takes hours, if not days with a bus, jeepney, trike and two boats. Where finding a quick feed at the bus station means getting another bag of garlic peanuts (yum) and a bunch of bananas. It also means being back in the amazing crystal clear - blue waters where whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and eagle rays live.
Read More
