Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River National Park (also called Puerto Princesa Underground River) is a protected area in the country which features a spectacular limestone karst landscape and an underground river. The site represents a significant habitat for biodiversity conservation and boasts a full ‘mountain-to-sea’ ecosystem.Because it represents a unique ecosystem and features the most important forests in Asia, it was declared by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999. On November 11, 2011, Puerto Princesa Underground River was provisionally chosen as one of the New7Wonders of Nature and was officially confirmed on January 28, 2012.The cave inside the national park is one of the largest cave rooms in the world while the river winds through it before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea. The forest formations represent eight of the thirteen forest types found in Asia such as mountain forest, beach forest, and mangrove forest.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park is a protected area of the Philippines located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of the city centre of Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan. The river is also called Puerto Princesa Underground River. The national park is located in the Saint Paul Mountain Range on the western coast of the island. It is bordered by St. Paul Bay to the north and the Babuyan River to the east. The City Government of Puerto Princesa has managed the National Park since 1992. The entrance to the subterranean river is a short hike or boat ride from the town Sabang.In 2010, a group of environmentalists and geologists discovered that the underground river has a second floor, which means that there are small waterfalls inside the cave. They also found a cave dome measuring 300 m (980 ft) above the underground river, rock formations, large baths, a deep water hole in the river, more river channels, and another deep cave, as well as marine creatures and more. Deeper areas of the underground river are almost impossible to explore due to oxygen deprivation.On November 11, 2011, Puerto Princesa Underground River was provisionally chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. This selection was officially confirmed on January 28, 2012.
A subterranean river is a river that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground surface – one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth (rivers flowing in gorges are not classed as subterranean). It should also not be confused with an aquifer which may flow like a river but is contained within a permeable layer of rock or other unconsolidated materials.Subterranean rivers may be entirely natural, flowing through cave systems. In karst topography, rivers may disappear through sinkholes, continuing underground. In some cases, they may emerge into daylight further downstream. Some fish (popularly known as cavefish) and other troglobiteorganisms are adapted to life in subterranean rivers and lakes.Subterranean rivers can also be the result of covering over a river and/or diverting its flow into culverts, usually as part of urban development. Reversing this process is known as daylighting a stream and is a visible form of river restoration. One successful example is the Cheonggye stream in the centre of seoul.
GEOGRAPHY OF SUBTERRANEAN RIVER
The park has a limestone karst mountain landscape. St. Pauls Underground River Cave is more than 24 km (15 mi) long and contains an 8.2 km (5.1 mi) long underground section of the Cabayugan River. The river winds through the cave before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea and is navigable by boat up to 4.3 km (2.7 mi) in from the sea. The cave includes major formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and several large chambers, including the 360-meter-long Italian's Chamber with approximate 2.5 million square meters volume. It is one of the largest cave rooms in the world. The lower portion of the river up to 6 km from the sea, is subject to tidal influences. Until the 2007 discovery of an underground river in Mexicos's Yucatan Peninsula, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River was reputed to be the world's longest underground river.The area also represents a habitat for biodiversity conservation. The site contains a full mountain-to-the-sea ecosystem and has some of the most important forests in Asia. It was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.
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