Whale Sharks - Donsol Sorsogon

I have been coming across a lot of ads promoting tourism in Donsol, Sorsogon about these gentle giants called Butanding or also known as whale sharks (scientific name: Rhincodon typus). They say that swimming with a Whale Shark is the epitome of all wildlife encounters – an experience of a lifetime a nature enthusiast cannot afford to miss. These gentle giants of the sea are considered the largest fish in the world, measuring from 15 ft. to as long as 40 ft. in length and they have been observed to converge in the waters off Donsol starting sometime during the months of October and November, and peaks during the months of February to May.

The Butandings, featuring silvery polka dots all over its huge body, feeding only on plankton and krill, are harmless, gentle, friendly and playful, allowing humans to swim, play and interact with them, as they ponderously glide alongside seacraft. (www.sorsogontourism.com)

Sounds like fun huh? Well, seeing the pictures and really being there is a different story. You really have to see it for yourself.

Friday 630pm - We took the Philtranco Gold Service bus to Legaspi city. The road trip is a grueling ten hour drive. People who can’t stand being seated that long can take Philippine airlines instead. I think they have daily flights to Legaspi city. The bus wasn’t all that bad. We had reclining seats, large leg rooms, a toilet and even a stewardess serving us our food. Man, if this bus had wings, it would also be flying to Legaspi for just one-fifth of the fare.

We arrived in Legaspi at around 5am the next morning. The first thing to do is to check into our hotel before we head out to Donsol. I recommend staying at Sampaguita Inn. They have nice clean rooms with a/c, flat screen cable tv and water heater for the weak. The price is very affordable too - only P650 for 3 persons with 3 separate beds. You can choose among different rooms like the jungle room, the Egyptian room, the underwater room…uhm, sorry, that’s a different hotel. Haha. Aside from the nice rooms they also have a 24 hour café serving good food at really low prices. So the next time you visit Legaspi city, drop by Sampaguita Inn – where your business is their pleasure!

I was really going to include their address and contact number here, but they didn’t pay me enough for a longer advertisement.

Ok, so off we went to Donsol for our much anticipated encounter with the whalesharks. Donsol is an hour away from Legaspi so we rented a private coaster to bring us there. Once we arrived, we have to register with the tourism office to pay for our boat and our guide. A ten minute video viewing about the butanding is also required in order to better get to know these big creatures and their importance to our environment. Before you head off to sea, make sure you have three vital things you need in order to see the butanding. These are mainly your mask, snorkel and fins. Don’t forget the fins! These fish may be gentle but they are not as slow as your grandma. If you didn’t bring any, you can easily rent them from the tourism office. Another equally important thing is to bring a waterproof camera so you can take some good shots for remembrance and for showing off to others.

730am, our outrigger boat started to spasm into life and after a few minutes we were out to sea. The rules for interacting with a whaleshark is quite simple – just follow what your BIO(or Butanding Interaction Officer). Basically, there’s a spotter who looks for the Butanding. Then when he spots one, he will then tell the boatman to which direction the boat should go. After the boat is in position, the BIO will then signal everyone to jump into the water and follow him. Once in the water, the BIO will help direct you to which direction the butanding is swimming and presto! You are now face to face with the biggest fish in the world.

When our BIO spotted our first butanding, everyone in our boat was reluctant to jump into the water. Who wouldn’t be intimidated by the humongous black shadowy figure passing by your small boat? So I was the first one to go and was I overwhelmed with what I saw. This thing is huge! I was in awe. Wow. What a big big fish. I was there transfixed by the sheer size and beauty of its spotted body as my BIO grabbed me by the arms and started dragging me along with him to follow the butanding. I didn’t have fins so it was really tiring to swim after it. After the first fish we saw swam away, we got back on the boat and spent the whole morning excitedly chasing after and swimming with these gentle giants. We actually had a very good morning as there had been around 50 sightings of the butanding for all the boats in the area. Some were smaller while others were even bigger than our coaster bus. It was really a very unique experience that we here in the Philippines should not miss. Quit staring at that old elephant in Manila zoo and start exploring the various wonders that our beautiful country has to offer. By doing so, you can also help in preserving our environment.

Other points of interest in Bicol are of course Mayon Volcano in Legaspi city, the black sand beaches of Sto. Domingo and the best Bicol Express I have tasted in my life. Grabe, super sarap. It was palate heaven to sink your teeth into those tender pork cubes sautéed in creamy coconut cream with hot chillies and fresh alamang. Ohhhh…..mamamiya. If you ever want to go butanding watching in Donsol, you can first contact the tourism office (0927-2330364) and for the best bicol express contact Mang Tano (09194208237).