Let's promote our very own marine sanctuary

New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders. A popularity poll was organized by the private, non-profit New Open World Corporation (NOWC), with winners announced last July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

2007 New Seven Wonders of the World.
1. Chichen Itza from Yucatec Maya: "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico.
2. Christ the Redeemer, is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[1] The statue stands 39.6 metres (130 feet) tall, weighs 700 tons, and is located at the peak of the 700-m (2296-foot) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city.
A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.

3. The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.
4. The Great Wall of China literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li" is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC.
5. Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire.
6. Petra is an archaeological site in southwestern Jordan, lying on the slope of Mount Hor[1] in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. It is renowned for its rock-cut architecture.
7. And lastly The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The company plans to develop a new list of seven wonders of nature through a similar process, taking nominations through December 31, 2008. And one of the nominee is in our very own country. The Tubbataha Reef.

The Tubbataha Reef is located in the Sulu Sea, 98 nautical miles (181 km) southeast of Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the Philippines. Vivid corals cover more than two-thirds of the area and the waters around the reef are places of refuge for numerous marine lives. The seemingly diverse ecosystem of this sanctuary rivals the Great Barrier Reef – having 300 coral species and 400 fish species.
Tubbataha has become a popular site for seasoned sports divers because of its coral “walls” where the shallow coral reef abruptly ends giving way to great depths. These “walls” are not only wonderful diving spots but they are also wonderful habitats for many colonies of fish. There are giant jacks, hammerhead sharks, barracudas, manta rays, palm-sized moorish idols, parrot fishes, and moral eels living in the sanctuary. Tubbataha is even home to the hawksbill sea turtles which are endangered species.

Tubbataha Reef is nominated as one of the 7 Wonders of Nature in the World, making it the one and only entry of the Philippines to the prestigious search for new world wonders. It is now currently ranked as #29.

Lets help promote this magnificent marine sanctuary to be placed on the 2008 New Seven Wonders of the World. Please vote and nominate Tubbataha Reef click the LINK or copy and paste this URL: http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nomination/ .

To see the wonderful photos and video taken from this sanctuary go to my February 2, 2008 entry.