Manila Bay
Manila Bay is one of the finest natural
harbors in the world which serves the port of
Manila (on
Luzon), in the
Philippines. The entrance is 19
km wide and expands to a width of 48 km.
Mariveles, in the province of
Bataan, is an anchorage just inside the northern entrance and
Sangley Point is the former location of
Cavite Naval Base.
On either side of the bay are
volcanic peaks topped with
tropical foliage: 40 km to the north is the
Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of
Cavite.
Across the entrance to Manila Bay are several islands. The largest is
Corregidor, which is 3 kilometers from Bataan and, along with the island of Caballo, separates the mouth of the bay into the North and South Channels. In the south channel is El Fraile Island and outside the entrance, and to the south, is Carabao Island. El Fraile, a rocky island some 4 acres (16,000 m²) in area, supports the massive concrete and steel ruins of
Fort Drum, an island fortress constructed by the United States Army to defend the southern entrance of the bay. To the immediate north and south are additional harbors.
The bay was the setting for the
Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 and the siege of
Corregidor Island by invading Japanese forces in 1942.
*
Geography of the Philippines*
Battle of Manila Bay*
Fort Drum:Concrete Battleship of the Philippines
