The grueling trails of Mt. Mantalingajan may have literally brought me to my knees but its natural beauty and astounding biodiversity blew me away.
Conservation International organized a biodiversity survey of the mountain in 2007 which documented 861 plant species including newly discovered ones, 169 species of vertebrates and 90 bird species. The mountain is also home to flora and fauna that are endemic to Palawan as well as to various endangered species.
This terrestrial orchid, a member of the genus Coelogyne, was one of the new discoveries in Mantalingajan. It is very common on the rocky trail from Paray-Paray campsite going to the summit.
Yellow ground orchid which I’ve also seen in Mt. Guiting-Guiting.
Resin of the almaciga tree which is commercially used as wood varnish. The almaciga is endemic to the Philippines and is currently classified as an endangered species. (Photo by Jet Reyes)
We saw a lot of this type of spider at the start of our trek on the first day.
Ant colony
Terrestrial crab
Black butterfly with a heart-shaped orange design on its wings. (Photo by Jet Reyes)
These quirky-looking, bulb-like plants are about an inch in length and grow directly from the ground with no distinct stems or leaves.
We’re guessing those bulb-like things in the previous photo look like this in full bloom.
A sundew, a carnivorous plant that traps and digests insects through the gel-like substance at the tip of its tentacles. The gel looks like tiny droplets of early morning dew, hence the name.
Speaking of carnivorous plants, Mt. Mantalingajan also has an abundance of pitcher plants in its upper elevations. We started seeing a few wilted pitchers on our climb to Paray-Paray. The population steadily increased as we gained altitude. By the time we got to the summit, we were surrounded by pitcher plants. There is even one species, the Nepenthes mantalingajanensis, which can only be found in the summit region of the mountain.
Due to bad weather during our climb, we were not able to enjoy panoramic views on the summit or even on the numerous peaks we passed by. Good thing we still got to see these.
Wow love your flora and fauna pics! Biodiversity researcher’s wet dream! I believe that’s where Rey Langit’s son got the malaria that later killed him. I hope you took the necessary precautions
Thanks JP! Yes, I’d imagine biologists would go crazy if they see the richness of Manta’s biodiversity. We practically bathed in Off lotion the whole time and wore citronella patches. Malaria prophylaxis was tricky though because the meds can cause adverse side effects and may jeopardize us even more.
The locals have a different story on the incident concerning Reyster Langit but I’d rather not discuss it.
I’ve read articles online about the locals’ story about what happened. Buti na lang I don’t engage in loud parties and alcohol whenever I climb hehe RIP na lang kina Reyster and his climbing party, the camera crew, who all died…
Its amazing that mountains in a single range that are very close together can have different species of pitcher plants. http://www.redfernnaturalhistory.com/dvds/name/exploration_of_mount_anipahan_and_mount_kiamo
These pictures are truly amazing; real beauty!
Thank you! The subjects were a real beauty indeed so it wasn’t difficult to get a good photo.
the photos are awesome!
dream climb jud! 
Thanks Kai! Yes, dream climb fulfilled and I’m still reeling from the excitement and indescribable happiness of it all.
such a wonderful sight. I particularly love the orchids, we grew up with those beauty
Me too! My mother loves orchids. Hanggang ngayon parang orchidarium ang bakuran namin. Hehe. Kaya natutuwa ako whenever I see orchids in the wild. I can see the level of effort my mom puts into making our orchids bloom at home. Pero sa gubat ang ganda-ganda nila on their own. Ang galing!
same here. makulangan lang ng isang bulaklak yung orchids sa bahay, sandamakmak na galit ang aabutin mo…hahahaha. galing! galing!
ang dahilan din Tin kung bakit ang tawag ko sa lahat ng dilaw na bulaklak na nakikita is Dancing Lady. Dami nun sa bahay dati hahaha
Hehe figures. Marami rin kami nun sa bahay. My mother taught me rudimentary ways of identifying orchids and flowers (though I’ve forgotten most of them) kaya medyo nadi-distinguish ko naman sila kahit pano. Haha.
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