Whaleshark watching in the Philippines

After 10 years of conservation, Butanding sightings are on the rise

EYES trained on the playful undulations of the water, the guide prayed to the sea for signs: a looming shadow, a large ripple, sea froth that shouldn't be there.

We have been at sea a mere fifteen minutes. Expectations were running high as the day before many had been seen.

‘There!' suddenly points Lino, our Butanding spotter. Though slightly distorted by the motion of the bay's waves, a massive yet graceful form draws near our suddenly tiny craft. Cheers abound as mask and fins are donned. In a few moments our team will be swimming with the greatest fish of them all.

Donsol, Whaleshark Capital of the World

It is a sweltering summer day in May and we are in Donsol - known as the Butanding (The local name for Whalesharks) Capital of the World. Before 1997 the world's most famous Whaleshark spot was in Ningaloo Reef, West Australia, where hopefuls enlisted the aid of a light spotter plane. Aside from being rather pricey ($350 to $500 per person), Whaleshark sightings were not guaranteed.

Yet fishermen in an unknown town in Sorsogon were shooing away dozens of friendly, lumbering sharks that were bumping into their nets. And since 1998 WWF has played a crucial role in establishing community-based ecotourism for the conservation of the species, and Sorsogon is now deemed by the Department of Tourism as a flagship ecotourism destination and one of the best attractions in the region.

Fisherman Verdel Barruga recalls, ‘We used to consider the Butandings as pests, for they ploughed through our nets and drove away smaller fish. After 1997 we realized that they were God's gift to Donsol.' With WWF's help, fishermen that once hunted the gentle creatures now act as guides for tourists.

Donsol, situated 540 kilometres southeast of Manila, has possibly the world's highest aggregation of Whalesharks. Though found in other places such as Australia and the coast of Zanzibar in Tanzania, Donsol's giant residents are unique by staying within a kilometre from shore.

The Greatest Fish of All

Butanding season peaks each summer, when algal blooms give rise to unimaginable quantities of plankton. This occurs between February and May, though they can be seen at other times. Wise to the ways of the sea, these ancient mariners spend close to a century travelling the globe.

Discovered by Sir Andrew Smith off the coast of South Africa in 1828, the strikingly patterned Whaleshark (Rhincodon typus) are longer than a bus and weigh more than six adult elephants. Though ponderous and slow moving, its massive five-foot mouth helps it gulp down more than 2-tonnes of plankton and krill daily. Despite the formidable appearance, its teeth are only about 2mm long. However, despite its size, Butanding are considered almost completely harmless to humans.

Increased Sightings in RP

Just a decade ago, Whalesharks were being slaughtered in alarming rates off Pamilacan Island, Bohol and in Donsol itself. On the 25th of March 1998, the Department of Agriculture issued Fisheries Administrative banned the capture, sale, purchase, possession, transport or export of Whalesharks. Eco-tourism was to replace age-old hunting practices. After nine years, things are looking up.

Across the Philippines Butanding sightings have been rising as the result of coastal conservation efforts by tireless environmental stewards like WWF, Haribon and Conservation International.

 We Take the Plunge

‘Jump!' bellows Lino, back in Donsol. We oblige and dive in. Moments later we are greeted by an unusually marked juvenile, perhaps 7-meters long. Silver pompano and giant remora accompany the lone creature. After what seems like minutes (in reality mere seconds) the shark takes a nose dive and disappears, leaving us breathless in its wake.

Before we even climb aboard another is sighted, then another. Each interaction is totally unique, an adventure in itself. The great explorer Jacques Costeau once admitted to seeing only two Whalesharks in all of his seagoing adventures. After just two hours our team clocks in sixteen sharks.

Explains our guide Lino Herrera, ‘We work extra-hard for our guests, who come by the thousands. Naturally, we want them to get their money's worth, so that they'll either leave Donsol with great memories or better yet - they'll be back next summer.' With more sightings being reported yearly, it's safe to say that we and many others will return next season for another round with Sorsogon's over-sized denizens.

Says Pine, ‘Donsol's decade-long success story is simply phenomenal. The benefits are shared both by man and fish. With encouraging results from eco-tourism and their status as a protected species, it seems that at least for now, the fate of our Butandings is assured.'

Courtesy of WWF Philippines.