The Sunken Cemetery Under Camiguin Island

Camiguin is a beautiful, volcanic island in the southern Philippines, but with the exceptional, natural beauty, there's comes also a dangerous natural, and potentially deadly element.

Because of its volcanic nature, and its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Camiguin is a place that is prone to extensive eruptions. The island is essentially just one, giant, volcanic rock. The tallest peak is a volcano, and the second tallest peak, was formed from the eruption of that volcano.

The beaches are black sand in places, formed from the ash and debris of ancient eruptions, while the soil, is surprisingly fertile. Camiguin's people live int he shadow of the volcano and the last eruption was as recently as the 1950s, when the mountain began spewing lava, flames and fumes into the air, leading to an unfortunate loss of life.

This wasn't the first eruption however, as an even more damaging eruption occurred in the 1870s, less than a hundred years prior, and this eruption left a lasting legacy in the ocean.

The eruption of 1871 destroyed the largest town on Camiguin, but not only that, the eruption caused the land to literally fall away into the ocean, as well as creating the second largest peak.

The land that fell away was the site of the local cemetery, and ever since, the graves and crosses have lain underneath the water, under the waves.

The locals raised a cross out to sea to commemorate their ancestors, now under the water, and to remember that they always live in the constant shadow of the volcano.

Here are my pictures form this fascinating Sunken Cemetery.