Monfort Bat Sanctuary

The Monfort cave on Samal Island is a shallow limestone chamber system whose walls and ceilings are covered - genuinely covered, at a density that has been surveyed and recorded as among the highest known - with Geoffroy's rousette fruit bats, in a colony counted at around 2.3 million in a cave about 75 metres long. Viewing platforms look down into five openings, and the bats are visible in daylight, packed shoulder to shoulder and constantly shifting, which is the reason the site is worth an hour rather than a passing glance. The noise and smell are considerable. The colony survives on private land kept by the Iñigo-Monfort family since the early twentieth century, and the owner, Norma Monfort, was named a Disney conservation hero in 2011 for protecting it. Bats emerge at dusk in a stream that takes a long time to pass, which is the other way to see the place.

What you'll find

• The packed walls - bats covering the rock at extreme density.
• The five openings - viewing platforms over each chamber.
• The dusk emergence - the long outflow at nightfall.
• The guide's account - the colony's survey history and protection.

When to go

Year-round; the colony is resident. Daytime for the packed-wall view, dusk for the emergence. Allow an hour either way.

Good to know

The smell of guano is strong and the noise constant - some visitors find it overwhelming. Viewing is from platforms only; entering the caves is not permitted. Do not use flash.

Nearby

Samal's beaches, Hagimit Falls and the Talicud dive sites are elsewhere on the island; Davao City is across the strait.

Key facts