Agusan Marsh
A Wetland The Size Of A Small Country, Where Manobo Families Live In Houses That Float And Move With The Water · Bunawan, Agusan del Sur
THE AGUSAN MARSH IS AN ENORMOUS FRESHWATER WETLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF MINDANAO - A RAMSAR-LISTED BASIN OF LAKES, PEAT AND SEASONALLY FLOODED FOREST that swells and shrinks with the rains until the map stops meaning much. MANOBO FAMILIES LIVE ON IT IN FLOATING HOUSES, moored to trees, that RISE AND FALL WITH THE WATER AND ARE TOWED TO NEW GROUND WHEN THE SEASON CHANGES - a whole village that relocates without anybody packing. IN THE WET MONTHS THE MARSH FILLS WITH MIGRATORY BIRDS in numbers that make it one of the most important wetlands in Southeast Asia. IT IS ALSO WHERE LOLONG WAS CAUGHT IN 2011, the largest saltwater crocodile ever measured in captivity, and the marsh still holds wild crocodiles. THERE IS ALMOST NO VISITOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACCESS IS BY BOAT, arranged locally, and the water level governs everything. Stay overnight in a floating house; dawn on the water is the whole experience.
Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary, Agusan del Sur, Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, Philippines
THE MARSH IS REACHED FROM BUNAWAN OR LORETO IN AGUSAN DEL SUR, several hours by road from BUTUAN or DAVAO, and THERE IS NO GATE - TRIPS ARE ARRANGED THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL TOURISM OFFICE, which assigns boats and guides. THIS IS NOT A WALK-UP DESTINATION and enquiring ahead is the difference between a trip and a wasted day. ACCESS IS ENTIRELY BY BOAT and the WATER LEVEL GOVERNS WHERE YOU CAN GO - the wet months, roughly November to March, flood the marsh and are when the migratory birds arrive; the dry months shrink it and some channels close. OVERNIGHT STAYS ARE IN FLOATING HOUSES OR SIMPLE LODGING and are how the birds are seen at dawn. CROCODILES ARE PRESENT AND WILD. Carry everything; there is nothing out there.