Whaleshark Interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon

~ Text, Photos & Videos by Aireen Navarro ~

Whaleshark interaction in Donsol, Sorsogon.....wow, it seemed scary and impossible at first. Swim with the giants of the ocean - literally the biggest fish and a shark at that!!! But, don't be fooled by its name, whalesharks or 'butandings' as known locally, are the gentlest marine species....that is, as long as you stay out / away from its powerful fins :)

The whalesharks in Donsol first gained popularity in 1997. In fact, I've heard about it in one of my classes. We have this 'Tourism Development' course which gave us an opportunity to do field research for 1-2 weeks (field research aka enjoying out-of-town trips with classmates!!!). Unfortunately, my group didn't go to Donsol. another group did BUT they didn't see the whalesharks!!! Well, they were there for just 1 weekend....

But still, that's a loooooong bus ride from Manila to Donsol and end up not seeing one whaleshark...we're talking about 10-12 hours or more (bus since as students, we can't afford to take the plane to Legazpi to shorten the road trip to 2 hours). What does it mean? It simply means that wild animals are always unpredictable and never a guarantee that you'd see them -- it's always a 'hit or miss' scenario....

After college, I've been longing to go to Donsol but it was only in April 2005 that I finally had the chance!!! We hired a van (equally split the bill) then set out from Manila on a Friday evening, after work. That's an 'all-nighter' drive!!! The driver was a bit slow so we ended up arriving at around lunchtime the next day. Well, at least we're still in one piece!!!

We headed to the Tourism Office, registered and took note of the rules and was introduced to our BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer). Once all formalities are over, we're all set to go!!! The water's clear but a bit murky, thanks to the zooplanktons and cloudy sky. We spotted several whalesharks!!! When it's spotted, better be prepared to jump off the banca/boat at ALL times. You just have to wait for your BIO to shout 'JUMP'!!! Here are very short videos I was able to take while trying to keep up.......

Whew!!! They're huge and FAST!!! You have to move swiftly or you'll lose them!!!

There are guidelines/rules that we also need to follow while interacting/swimming with the whalesharks -- the assigned BIO ensures that these are followed. If you're a slow swimmer, better let the BIO know about it -- if he's nice, he'd do all the 'swimming' part and just pulling you along :)

First round on a Saturday afternoon was AWESOME!!!!! We loved it so much we arranged for another interaction the next morning. FYI: The best time for whaleshark interactions are during early mornings -- calm and clearer as well and it's usually at these times that a lot of whalesharks 'feed' on planktons/krill -- so why not join the party??!!!

Our Saturday evening was spent hanging out on the beach, stargazing. It was low-tide so we walked around a bit and saw weird sea creatures......what do you think those are???

Early Sunday morning, we headed back to the Tourism Office where all boats/BIOs are stationed. We then set off and indeed, we saw LOTS of whalesharks. We couldn't keep up though......but it's really wonderful......

We even had a huge BONUS!!! Out in the distance, we saw hundreds of dolphins!!! Amazing!!!

We all got soooo excited and tried to follow/go as near as we can. Of course the dolphins were too far off, but that was just wonderful and a HUGE surprise. According to the local firshermen, there are no more dolphins in the area, dolphins had become wary of fishermen who used to hunt them......

Then, the excitement ended too soon :( I didn't want it to end but hey, one needs to find a balance and both good and bad times end.....It just so happened that good times ended. Getting off our boat, we saw lots of very colorful jellyfishes. The kids were playing with them......they're not afraid of its sting!!!!

We stayed for a while, taking photos before finally leaving Donsol....

What's a trip in the Bicol Region without a photo stop at the Cagsawa Ruins where the Mayon Volcano provides a panoramic backdrop? We took lots of photos off course and went shopping for souvenirs :)

That weekend was too short......hopefully I'd be able to go back and spend 3-4 days or more....maybe combine whaleshark interaction with a trip to neighboring Ticao Island for the manta rays?........we'll see.....

Note: Sorry folks, the videos are very short and amateurish....hehehe...I used a digital camera with very limited zoom, so go figure :)