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Philippine Sea Facts

Philippine Sea Facts
The Philippine Sea is located east and northeast of the Philippines in the North Pacific Ocean's western region. It is bordered in the southwest by the Philippine archipelago, in the east by the Marianas, the northeast by Iwo Jima and Bonin, the north by several Japanese islands, Taiwan in the west and the northwest by the Ryukyu Islands. There are deep sea trenches in the Philippine Sea, including Mariana Trench and the Philippine Trench. Mariana Trench encompasses the deepest point on earth. Seas adjacent to the Philippine Sea include the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the Celebes Sea.
Interesting Philippine Sea Facts:
The first European known to arrive in the Philippine Sea was Ferdinand Magellan who navigated its waters in 1521. He gave it the name Mar Filipinas.
Other Spanish explorers arrived between 1522 and 1565, and it became the galleon trade route. Galleons were large ships used for carrying cargo.
There are approximately 500 species of coral in the coastal water of the Philippine Sea.
Approximately 20% of the known shellfish species in the world are found in the waters of the Philippine Sea.
The Philippine Sea is a common spawning ground for a variety of species including several whale species, tuna, and Japanese eel.
Common sea life that can be found in the Philippine Sea include sea snakes, octopus, moray eels, shark, and sea turtles.
A large naval battle occurred in the Philippine Sea in 1944, called the Battle of the Philippine Sea. It took place between Japan and the United States as part of World War II.
The Philippine Sea is one of the best places in the world to see the whale shark, considered a gentle giant, which is the largest fish in the sea. Divers often report seeing specimens at over 10 meters long.
Mantas can be found in the Philippine Sea with wing spans of seven meters. They can weigh as much as 1,400 kilos or more.
There are seven species of pygmy seahorses discovered on earth so far. Six of these species can be found in the Philippine Sea. Male seahorses are the ones to become pregnant and they give birth after only 14 days to as many as 12 babies.
Trenches in the Philippine Sea include the Izu-Bonin Trench, the Mariana Trench, the Nankai Trench, the Philippine Trench, and the Ryukyu Trench.
Some of the islands found in the Philippine Sea include Bonin Islands, Dinagat Islands, Guam, Honshu, Luzon, Mariana Islands, Polillo Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Saipan, Taiwan, Ulithi, and Yap.
Countries that are considered to make up the basin of the Philippine Sea include Taiwan, Philippines, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, Japan, Indonesia, Guam, and the Federated States of Micronesia.
The Philippine Sea Plate is a tectonic plate that is located beneath the Philippine Sea covering an area of 5.5 million km2. Earthquakes are common in the region due to tectonic activity.
In 2011 there was an escalating dispute referred to as the Spratly Islands Dispute, and several government agencies in the Philippines began referring to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.


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