Babuyan Channel

The Babuyan Channel is in the Luzon Strait, Filipino: Kipot ng Luzon), the strait between Taiwan and Luzon island of the Philippines. The strait thereby connects the Philippine Sea to the South China Sea in the western Pacific Ocean. The strait is approximately 250 kilometres (160 mi) wide containing a number of islands grouped into two groups: the Batanes Islands of Batanes province and the Babuyan Islands of Cagayan province, both of the Philippines.

The strait is divided into a number of smaller channels. The Babuyan Channel separates Luzon from the Babuyan Islands, which is separated from the Batanes Islands by the Balintang Channel. Batanes is separated from Taiwan by the Bashi Channel.

This is an important strait for shipping and communications. Many ships from the Americas use this route to go to important East Asian ports. Many submarine communications cables pass through the Luzon Strait. These cables provide important data and telephony services to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.[3]

Some of the largest ocean waves in the world are found in the Luzon Strait, at times towering over 170 meters. These waves are underwater and rarely break the surface, thus posing no danger to shipping.

Philippine Open Water Swimming Events

One of the Philippine Open Water Swimming (POWS) events is located in Babuyan Channel:

• Splashmob White Castle Challenge, a 3 km open water social swim in Subi
• Caramoan 7K Swim Challenge, a 3.5 km and 7 km open water swimming event between islands in Camarines Sur
• Guimaras-Iloilo Strait, a 7 km crossing from the Buenavista Wharf in Guimaras to the Iloilo river wharf across the Iloilo Strait first accomplished by Martin Soriano in 1994
• Olango Swim Challenge, a 6 km sea swim in Cebu
• Aqua Sphere Open Water Series, a series of 3 sea swims including 250m, 500m, 1.5 km, 3 km, 5 km, 8 km race at Pico de Loro Beach & Country Club in Nasugbu, Batangas
• 13 km crossing from Balicasag Island to Alona Beach on Panglao Island in Bohol
• 7.2 km crossing of the Babuyan Channel
• 12.8 km crossing of the Surigao Channel from Hikdop Island to Surigao City
• 4 km crossing from Basul Island to Surigao City
• Swim across Sarangani Bay, a 15 km 5-member relay from Kamanga Beach in Maasim to Glan in Sarangani Province, part of the Sarangani Bay Festival that offers a first prize of P50,000, second of P30,000 and third of P25,000
• 358 Swim, a 3 km, 5 km and 8 km open water swim in the Hamilo Coast at the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club in Nasugbu, Batangas

External links

• Open Water Swimming In The Philippines
• Philippine Open Water Swimming
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• First Steps With Speedo 3.5.8 Open Water Swim Masters Series
• 358 Open Water Swimming Race
• Open Water Swimming
• Top 50 Open Water Swims in Asia
• 358 Swim Announced
• Open Water Swimming In The Philippines