 Marine flora and fauna of global significance and a large diversity of habitats can be found in Balabac Strait. It is home to the Balabac mousedeer (Tragulus napu nigricans), estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), some 10 species of endemic birds, 30 coral genera, and 440 reef fish species.
Fish and invertebrate larvae, as well as migratory species like tuna, sea turtles, sharks, whales and dolphins move within Balabac Strait’s waters. The area reportedly hosts two species of sea turtles in their different life stages. This makes Balabac Strait one of the important habitats of green and hawksbill turtles in the Philippines, as well as in the Indian Ocean and South East Asia region. Ten species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have been recorded to occur within the Balabac corridor, including the subspecies of the spinner dolphin, the dwarf spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris roseiventris), a new record for the country. The sighting of Bryde’s whales also indicates that Balabac strait is an important corridor for this species.  The Balabac Group of Islands was identified (Mallari et al., 2002) as one of the 11 important bird areas of the Philippines. A total of 66 bird species were recorded, including four threatened species. Field observations in the islands of Balabac revealed that they host the largest remaining wild population of critically endangered Philippine cockatoo (Cacatua haematuropygia).
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Conservation Corridors 
