Giraffes in Palawan & Black Island
There are giraffes in Palawan. This is not a sentence that resolves easily into the normal geography of the Philippines, and it remained slightly disorienting even after the jeep cleared the gate of Calauit Game Preserve and the first giraffe appeared above the tree line — long-necked, unhurried, regarding our vehicle with the mild curiosity of an animal that has never had reason to be afraid. Calauit Island, in the northern Calamian group, was designated a game sanctuary in 1976 under Ferdinand Marcos, who had African animals — giraffes, zebras, impalas, waterbuck — transported to the island as part of a conservation and tourism initiative. The Palawan endemic species were already there: Calamian deer, bearcat (binturong), pangolin, Palawan peacock-pheasant. The collision of African savanna megafauna with Philippine jungle island has produced, over nearly five decades, something genuinely extraordinary.
The jeep tour took us through open grassland and light forest, stopping wherever animals were close to the track. Zebras grazed in a clearing with the particular indifference of very large animals that know they have nothing to fear. A giraffe bent its improbable neck toward the jeep and the younger child, who had been informed we were going on a safari, had not quite believed it until this moment. He was very quiet for a long time afterward. The Calamian deer — endemic, small-bodied, alert — moved through the undergrowth at the edge of the track in small groups, more skittish than the African animals and faster to disappear. We spent nearly three hours on the island and still did not see everything.
Black Island — Malajon — in the afternoon was a different kind of extraordinary: a small island with a beach of dark volcanic sand and a lagoon whose turquoise is made more vivid by the contrast with the dark shoreline. The banca dropped anchor offshore and we swam in. The water was warm and clear and the reef on the lagoon side had good coral coverage, schools of small reef fish moving through the branches. There is a cave on the island’s interior accessible from the beach — dark, dripping, full of the small sounds of enclosed space — and we explored it with the torches on our phones and came out blinking in the afternoon light. The return to Coron was slow, the banca cutting through the gold-lit water as the sun went down behind the karst to the west, and nobody spoke much. Some days earn their silences.
Calauit Game Preserve & Wildlife Sanctuary
Established in 1976, Calauit is home to both imported African wildlife (Rothschild’s giraffes, Burchell’s zebras, impalas, waterbuck, bushbuck) and Philippine endemic species (Calamian deer, pangolin, bearcat, Palawan peacock-pheasant). The 3,700-hectare sanctuary on Calauit Island in the northern Calamian group is accessible by banca from the mainland and then a jeep tour through the reserve. Entrance fee ₱450–500/pax; jeep tour included. Best visited in the morning when the large animals are active in the open grassland areas before the midday heat drives them into shade.
Calamian Deer — Philippine Endemic
The Calamian deer (Axis calamianensis) is a critically endangered endemic species found only in the Calamian Islands group — Busuanga, Culion, and Calauit. Smaller and more compact than other Philippine deer species, it has russet-brown colouring and distinctive darker markings along the back. Calauit is one of the best places in the Philippines to see this species in its natural habitat. The deer are wild — not fed or habituated — and tend to be most visible at the forest edges in early morning and late afternoon.
Black Island (Malajon Island)
Malajon Island — called Black Island for its distinctive volcanic rock formations and dark sand beach — sits in the Coron Bay southeast of the main town. The island has a white sand and dark volcanic rock beach combination, a turquoise lagoon with good snorkelling, and a cave accessible from the beach interior. The contrast between the dark rock, white sand sections, and the vivid blue-green water makes it one of the most visually striking islands in the Calamian group. Banca access only; typically combined with Calauit as a full-day circuit.
💡 Day 3 Tips
- Calauit requires an early start — the ferry crossing from Coron to the island takes 1.5–2 hours. Depart town by 6:30–7 AM to arrive in the morning cool when the large animals are most active.
- Bring insect repellent for Calauit. The open grassland areas have biting flies in February, especially around the larger animals. Long sleeves help.
- The cave on Black Island is dark — phone torches are adequate but a proper headlamp is better. The cave is short but the floor is uneven and wet.
- Calauit + Black Island is a long day on the water. Pack sufficient food and water for the full day. There are no food vendors on either island.
- Do not feed the animals at Calauit. The giraffes in particular will approach the jeep — maintain a respectful distance and do not offer food, even if they seem to solicit it.