warship Datu Kalantiaw, which had served during World War II and subsequently under the Philippine flag, was hit by Typhoon Clara. The ship ran aground on 21 September 1981. Rescue and recovery operations were launched by the ammunition ship USS Mount Hood together with the Philippine Navy units "in a most adverse weather environment," and could recover only 49 bodies of the 79 who perished (presumably other 30 bodies were not recovered) which were taken to Manila to be handed over to the next of kin of the dead. Geography The land area of the island is . It has a rough rectangular shape with rolling hills, spread over a length of . The island consists mainly of mountainous and uneven land, with the highest land in the centre, with low gaps in places. The hill ridge runs through the middle of the island and is heavily forested. The Mt. Calayan which was once an active volcano is the highest peak here. The island is of volcanic origin and has rich deposits of perlite, a greyish white rock which is called as the "wonder rock". There are rocky shores and white sand beaches. Four rivers drain the island. Coral limestones are seen at both the higher and lower levels of the island. The eastern part of the island has basaltic columns, which are seen in a good state of preservation. The populated areas on the island are Calayan town (Centro) and Magsidel on the south coast. Calayan town is the largest among the Babuyan Island group and it is a small fishing center. The port of Calayan is used for shipping goats, hogs, cattle and timber. There are three floodplains where rice is cultivated. Tidal coral flats that protect the sandy beaches between the settlements of Dilam and Dibay are also a distinct feature. The present access is by outrigger boats locally called lampitaw, which takes the islanders from Calayan to the port of Aparri and Claveria on the west coast of the Cagayan Province where an airport to operate small aircraft is also under construction. Climate Weather conditions are generally wet with heavy rainfall occurring during November and December. The cold winds are the northerly and north-easterly winds. The island is also affected by typhoons. Calayan Island publishes tide tables and solunar tables, daily forecasts for high tides and low tides, other fishing-related data such as the lunar phase,