Donsol: Off the Coast of Sorsogon for a Glimpse of the Bashful Butanding

At the tip most part of Luzon you can find one of mother nature’s splendid creations, the docile whalesharks. Sorsogon is the gate in the south welcoming visitors from the central and southern Philippines and has long been host to one of the highest concentration of whalesharks in the world.  Though whalesharks can also be found in other parts of the country such as in Negros and off the coast of Batangas, it is in Sorsogon where these gentle creatures are protected dearly by the locals turning them into the centrepiece of their thriving tourism industry!  The whalesharks indeed became so popular and phenomenal that swimming with the whale sharks was featured in Time Magazine in 2004 as the Best Animal Encounter in Asia.

I really can’t swim, but passing up an opportunity to see the whalesharks in whale-son and in its peak season is just too…..unforgivable (this site is PG13 you see). So my friends and I packed our swimming gears and went downside to Donsol. The whalesharks were reported to be seen not only in Donsol, Sorsogon but also in the towns of Pilar, Castilla and Magallanes. Nevertheless, Donsol seems to be the favourite waters of the whalesharks or the “butanding” as they are called locally that the Department of Tourism declared this area an official sanctuary of the whalesharks.  Whalewatching season is from November to May, but the peak is from February and onwards to summer when the butandings can be seen in groups...or so i heard.

Sorsogon...the beautiful waters of Sorsogon. Can't blame the butandings for liking it here. I can live here too! (sheesh! i'll cut you off before you can even spell whale!...now back to PG13).

Travelling to Sorsogon from Manila by land can be rough, even if it’s riding in your own car. But the Bicol region has long improved its accessability, both by land and by air. Flights to Legazpi, Albay from Manila can cut your travel time by at least 10 hours (!!) and you only have to take vans going to donsol, 3 hours tops. Buses from Manila plying the routes of Naga or Legazpi offer really comfortable options such as the lazy-boy seats or the sleeper-type bus. The price of P800+ (lazy-boy) to P1000 (for sleepers) are really reasonable considering it’s an 8-10-hour land travel minus the bone aches and the sleepless night.  Just ask for it at the Peñafrancia or the Isarog Lines terminal in Cubao at the back of Ali Mall. Make a reservation early especially if its peak season. There are also busses going straight to Sorsogon…but I haven’t tried that one yet. Well, if you’re budget spells like b-u-s then there really is no problem.  Vans going to Sorsogon can be found at the bus terminals in Naga and Legazpi. Well, you can always swim you know....just stay away from the ro-ros and ferrys.....

Donsol already has a number of resorts lying along the coast that caters to travellers. But, you can always find relatively cheap homestays (homes which offer accommodations to travellers by offering one or two of their rooms for a price). I heard there is also a hotel in the city, but I prefer the homestays since it do give visitors a homey feel, not to mention that it’s the cheaper alternative.  Food is also not a problem, there are a few small restaurants in town, but the resorts have bigger restaurants and even fastfoods…I remember there is a Binalot stall near the Tourism office.  You can get around pretty much by hiring a tryke.

Head out to Sea early! Be up early in the morning since the butandings are early risers. Chances of seeing the whalesharks are high according to the spotters only at early mornings to mid day. that's why there are less boats that are traversing this trip in the afternoons, plus there is always the threat of rain in this era of climate change. So, just head to the beach earlier at 6 am.

You're first stop should always be at the Donsol Tourism Office.  Its located at the beach. Registration is a must! and its good since the boaters are ensured to be paid equally and that prices are set at a standard (so no more haggling)...uhmm i cant remember if its P1,500 per boat but each boat shall allow only 6 passengers plus the Butanding Interaction Officer or the BIO, the spotter and the captain. If you are in excess of 6, then you can always ask the next boat if they are missing one or two passengers. Another rule is that only one boat is allowed per butanding, though this one rule is obviously quite hard to adhere to judging from the number of visitors they get in just a day during peak season. You will be paying for the whole boat and the lifevest. Snorkeling equipment are also available for a fee. There really is no need to pay extra to the crew, but since we are just happy for all their help and their genuine concern for making our trip a memorable one, we were really happy paying them extra! especially our BIO, well....we are quite a handful! and i can tell he got tired just from keeping our overflowing excitement in check! haha...

The BIO was obviously the team captain, he shall swim with you towards the whaleshark.  I was looking for a nice picture of our BIO which we called machete at the time. Well, he really have hard muscles and a deep, dark tan obviously a trained swimmer.  Well, I guess that's comforting since we are out at sea!  but what strikes us the most are the spotters. They stand upright at the top of the boat where a mast would have been roped to. There they wait, standing straight....just pray they have good eyes or you're going home tearful....Not everyone is lucky to see a whaleshark even if its peak season. Its a gamble and its explained in the orientation. Well really, you cannot blame these guys if you're really unlucky to see one. You can see they try so hard.

We can see four or five boats and we waved at them, hoping all of us would be blessed by just a mere sight of the wonderful butanding. The BIO explained that sometimes the whalesharks travel in groups especially in peak season, but still...no guarantees as these are very shy animals.

The BIO would also explain how to spot a butanding. They are actually very knowledgeable. I commend the tourism office for training these people. Its good to have very eloquent people on board. The information they shared adds to the wonderful experience.

Then we wait.....its okay to wait you see, rather than go around in cirlces pursuing animals like in a hunt. Yes, a hunt. When you see excited tourists in motored boats pursuing a pack of dolphins just to get a view, its nice...dont get me wrong coz I've been to one of them. But then again its a sad experience when you see more than twenty boats running a race just to get a closer view of these animals, sometimes blocking their paths...not to mention the effect of the roar of a pack of motor boats on animals whose means of communication is based on sound! the dolphins are not showing off, they are not even swimming...they are running away! is it cruel to be a tourist? not if you're responsible. 

Well, I did not get this feeling in Donsol. Hopefully it stays that way. The people here are very protective of these animals, because they know it brings them livelihood. That's a good way to repay them. And besides, the whalesharks are not here to welcome the tourists you know...they're here because of the warm waters and the abundance of plankton and krill in the area at this time of year. Plus, i read in wiki that the wam waters of Sorsogon are also breeding grounds when a baby butanding was caught in Pilar way back in 1998.

Apart from your swimsuits, you can also bring your own gear (mask, snorkel, fins and the works). But if you don’t have one, then they can be rented at the office. Other things you need? Towels, sunscreen, sunglasses, slippers, extra clothes, plastic bags for your bags and valuables, camera….better if you have the waterproof kind. I did feel a little miserable for not bringing one. But I found…well, disposable waterproof cams in the souvenir stores (P700), that is…AFTER the trip, geez! If pictures are very important for you, then I’ll say its worth it! Haizz….

If the whalesharks havent arrived yet, you can have some time to swim...if your BIO lets you. But swimmers are generally allowed under the watchful eye of your officer.  They said that scuba diving is not allowed in the area. The reason is that, some of the gears may startle the gentle beast. However, some diving sites are offering diving packages with the butanding. Its the ultimate experience I guess. Well, for non-swimmers llike me, I'll be content watching it from the boat. But definitely a dive would be other-worldly.  Maybe the dive sites are in other locations just so the trips are controlled and paced and that the whalesharks are not disturbed.

A whaleshark has been sighted....there they go! dont worry, I'll be here when you come back! look at the muscles of our friend machete...are my friends that heavy? peace! I have to do something on the boat you know!

What draws the crowd in Donsol is the experience of swimming with the whalesharks.  Though the butandings can get as large as 15 meters in length, they are gentle animals…docile as described and forever bashful in nature.

If you are not a swimmer but possess a strong heart and a boatful of courage, then you can also enjoy it by just swimming along.  The BIO will always be by your side while you swim. you just have to hold the rubber ring....like what my friends did.  Look at machete literally pulling all of them to where the whalesharks were spotted. Now you know why we paid him extra! chuckle! chuckle!

THERE! the butanding! can you see it???? Its there...right on the water! uhmmm.....just look at it a little closely and you'll see! OMG...its so spectacular!!! what? you cant see it?

I changed the color a little so you can see the whaleshark's shadow. There! can you see it now! right in the middle! ha! Even if its only a shadow, we were screaming on the boat! its so exciting to see butanding! what a sight....shadow i mean...

Yey! my friends are getting close to butanding! hurrah! hurrah! why did i not bring a waterproof cam?!?! arggh!

And the whale swam away...for just a fleeting moment, the swimmers were awed! captivated at the size of it, thanking mother nature for the chance...a chance to see one of God's grand creations.  That moment was enough to put smiles on all our faces, blood racing in our veins....and our throats sore from screaming! ahh! purely spectacular...divine even...

But there are rules for interacting with the Butanding. Its just right, so the whaleshark will not be threatened by so many tourists everyday during their feeding and birthing season. In order to make the interaction possible where both parties are awed...or at least one is and the other is happy munching, then rules should be strictly followed. At the Tourism Office, you can find them posted on the wall, and your BIO will also ensure that you remember them. Remember the whalesharks are only here in our waters at certain periods of the year? well, you see they are known to migrate to different seas at different seasons of the year. For the summer, they like it here....I mean, at Donsol. so let's keep it that way....

Well, according to the Donsol Tourism Office the rules are:

• Do not touch or ride the whaleshark
• Do not restrict the movement of the whaleshark or impede its natural path
• Maintain a distance of 3 meters from its head or body and 4 meters from the tail
• Do not use flash photography
• Do not use SCUBA gear, scooters of jet skis or any other motorized jet propulsion machines
• A maximum of 6 swimmers per whale is allowed and 1 boat per whaleshark

Uh-Oh...so many boats....

This experience is all about the butanding, Rhincodus typon in scientific terms.  The whaleshark, which is not really a whale but a shark…a gentle, bashful shark, who feeds on plankton and krill, which we have so many. They are documented to be even friendly, allowing humans to swim, play and touch them. The whalesharks are known to inhabit the tropical and warm-seas. So they are really not unique in our waters.  They are also seen in places such as the Maldives, Bay Islands in the Honduras, Thailand, Ningaloo Reef in Australia, Christmas Island, etcetera which means a lot more places.  There must be a reason why they go back in our waters consistently every year.  We don’t really know, but as I’ve said, let’s keep it that way.

Yet we can be proud, because the Phillippines is one of the countries who first actively protected these wonderful whalesharks. The whale shark has become the target of commercial fishing where they seasonally congregate. The population is still unknown according to wiki and the species is considered vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. In 1998, the Philippines banned all fishing, selling, importing and exporting of whale sharks for commercial purposes, followed by India in 2001 and Taiwan in 2007. They are listed as vulnerable and continued to be hunted in parts of Asia, but at least countries have started to realize the importance of preserving these animals.  Though the Philippines is still listed as one of the countries that STILL hunt these creatures, but then again…the people of Donsol, Sorsogon, the agencies of government are working together to make the wonderful butandings feel safe and at home in our abundant waters. 

Well, the Butanding adventure definitely is the quintessential outdoor experience…the ultimate Nat Geo-like or something! Every outdoors-man or girl should reserve a day or two to go downward to Donsol and get a taste of what’s it like. Well. I did…even if I purposely tied myself to the boat, I promised myself I will go out there and touch these lovable butandings! Wooh!