Reputedly the world’s largest shark is the whale shark with an average length of about twenty five feet though cases of some being over 40 feet ( and weighing around 15 tons or more) have been reported.These majestic creatures of the sea are apparently vegetarian and usually non territorial. The sharks feed off plankton. They are filter fish sharks meaning all they do is open wide their humongous five foot mouths, filter off sea water, and the rest is digested as food. Just their wide open mouths as they feed off the salt water is a sight to behold and it is not just spotting them but swimming alongside one that we decided (as do many adventurers), a thrill of a lifetime. And the recommended place to do it in the Philippines is Donsol in the Sorsogon region.
The other popular place for sightings is further South In Cebu. Shark sightings are almost guaranteed here with at least 10-15 showing up at one time during season. On the flip side, the reason for this is that operators to attract these gentle giants hand feed them shrimp. Many biologists have deemed such feeding unnatural and foreshadow possible environmental repercussions of tampering with natural feeding patterns of whale sharks.
The pros of such feeding includes sustainable livelihood for villagers where profits are equitably distributed. In Donsol criticism teeters on the use of motorboats disturbing shark territory including possible fuel leaks into the water. But of the two most agree that Donsol is a more environmentally friendly option.
Whatever the reasons, several factors have contributed to driving whale shark numbers down. In Donsol, during season it is easy to make at least one sighting but sometimes you will have to make a few trips to be able to catch one. Carry your snorkel to be able to see better underwater. In the event of not catching one on your first, try camping out at a nearby resort, of which there are plentiful in the area. Sea facing cottages make for a relaxing holiday in itself.
We had a quite a few near misses the first few times. Adrenalin pulses as you get ready to dive into the water. But with almost ten or fifteen boats on the lookout for one shark especially as shark season peters out, the chances of every single person catching a sighting becomes quite slim. During such times, going out into the sea a couple of times is your best bet. That or a quick trip to Cebu.
The third time round though we struck gold. Our skipper, a strapping young man with rippling chest muscles had almost given up. He patted our shoulders kindly after two hours of searching. “ Bad luck,” he smiled pursing his lips in a gesture of sympathy. “Maybe tomorrow” he added encouragingly.
Our shoulders slumped. We were ready to give up when the captain noticed another boat hovering around what looked like a whale shark with participants ready to dive in to the water. “ Butanding, butanding ( whale shark in filipino),” his excited helper called from his lookout.
“Come on, get ready ,” he hollered. “It is your lucky day”
He repeated somewhat sternly, “When I give you the signal, you have to jump pronto and follow me. “
We knew the mantra by now. Dive in on command and be lightening quick if you wanted to swim with the majestic sea creature. And the captain followed his own advice, expertly steering the boat at top speed past every other boat towards the whale shark.
In no time, we were in the water following instructions ( and our handsome captain) to the tee. We were soon swimming next to a medium sized shark ( still huge at some 18 feet), close enough to touch. We followed her for almost six-seven whole minutes before she disappeared into the depths of the sea. It was an incredibly exhilarating experience to have the privilege of swimming so close to one of nature’s finest creations. We came back up with a sense of deep contentment and bubbling happiness. On board, the charismatic captain was showered with a barrage of bear hugs.
Logistics
Whale shark season runs from December to May. A single whale shark interaction trip costs PHP 3,500 for an entire boat that can be shared by six people. If you are alone, just wait for other people to join in. Registration fee is 300 PHP for foreigners per person. You can also rent snorkels at 150 PHP. Trips are arranged through the tourism office. Several buses run from Manila to Legazpi. You can change buses here onward to Donsol.
Feature image- Whale shark. Image courtesy- Rich Carey/Shutterstock.com
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