Tubbataha - The New 7 Wonders of Nature

July 7, 2007, Lisbon, Portugal - the new Seven (7) Wonders of the World was officially announced. These are The Pyramid at Chichén Itzá (before 800 A.D.) of Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico; Christ Redeemer (1931) of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Roman Colosseum (70 - 82 A.D.) of Rome, Italy; Great Wall of China (220 B.C and 1368 - 1644 A.D.) of China; Machu Picchu (1460-1470) of Peru; Petra (9 B.C. - 40 A.D.) of Jordan and Taj Mahal (1630 A.D.) of Agra, India.

Following the declaration is the search for the New Seven Wonders of Nature. In this search, Tubbataha Reef in Sulu Sea has been nominated. Known as the Tubbataha Reef National MarinePark (proclaimed as a National Marine Park on August 11, 1988 through Presidential Proclamation No. 306), is designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1993. As a protected area, the reef has been a sanctuary to marine life and a heaven for divers and nature lovers.

Currently, Tubbataha is considered as one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. In this reef, you can see at least 85 percent of the hard coral reefs in the Philippines. Also, you’ll see the largest marine specie (whale shark) to the smallest (planktons) in this ecosystem.

However, conservation of the site has been a major challenge for the Philippines. Due to the lack of government funding and sudden increase of publicity, tourists started to visit the reef exposing it to abuse and exploitation. To resolve this, a “no-take” policy has been implemented. Only activities related to tourism, research and conservation are allowed in the Tubbataha Reef National Marine Park (TRNMP). Catching or collecting anything is strictly prohibited.

The nomination of Tubbataha in the search will increase awareness of the people visiting the park. Further, conservation for this gift will be an international concern.

As of posting time, our “candidate” is on the 34th place. And as a Filipino, we must be proud of this gift and help by casting our vote. Voting is up until December 31, 2008. You can vote online by visiting this site: http://www.new7wonders.com/classic/en/n7w/register/

*Images courtesy of tubbatahareef.org.