Caballo Island (which means "Horse Island" in Spanish) is a bluff, rocky island located at the entrance to
Manila Bay
Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
. It is about long with the highest elevation at 381 feet high. Caballo, along with the larger
Corregidor
Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...
(2 km to the north), divides the entrance to the
bay into two broad and deep channels, known as the North and South Channel.
[U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, "United States Coast Pilot Philippine Islands Part I", pp.71-72. Washington Government Printing Office, 1919.]
The whole island was formerly occupied by
Fort Hughes, a U.S. defense fortification before
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It was heavily bombed during the war.
Geological history
Caballo and Corregidor Islands are believed to be the rims of the
Corregidor Caldera. The gap between the two islands is only about 1/4 mile with a depth of and is never used for large vessel navigation.
In November 2014, Filipino peacekeepers from
Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...
who were quarantined on the island for 21 days due to concerns about
Ebola
Ebola, also known as Ebola virus disease (EVD) and Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF), is a viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and other primates, caused by ebolaviruses. Symptoms typically start anywhere between two days and three weeks after in ...
were cleared to return to the mainland. At that time
West Africa
West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...
was having
an outbreak of the disease.
Current tenants
The island — as of 2010 — was occupied by the
Philippine Navy
The Philippine Navy (PN) () is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 91 combat ...
and is off limits to civilians. Remains of the old fortifications, batteries and structures have been abandoned and left rusting in the open after World War II.
[Feredo, Tony.]
Visit to a Nearby Island
. Corregidor.org. Retrieved on 2010-09-20.
See also
*
List of islands in the Greater Manila Area
This is a list of islands in the Greater Manila Area in the Philippines.
There are several small islands located within the Greater Manila Area, particularly along the coast of Manila Bay, both natural and artificial island, artificial. Many of ...
*
List of islands of the Philippines
As an archipelago, the Philippines comprises about 7,641 islands clustered into Island groups of the Philippines, three major island groups: Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. Only about 2,000 islands are inhabited,[Manila Bay
Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...]
References
{{Reflist
External links
Caballo Islandfrom Pacific Wrecks.
Islands of Manila Bay
Cavite City
United States military in the Philippines
Islands of Cavite