Butanding in Donsol Whale Shark Capital

Watching wonderful creatures inside their natural habitat can make you appreciate Mother Nature’s awesome gifts. This is much more apparent after you experience whale shark- watching in Donsol within the province of Sorsogon, Philippines.

Donsol is really a quaint coastal fishing town about 600km from Manila, the country’s capital. Located inside southwest coast with the island of Luzon, it’s been frequented for years by “Butanding” or whale sharks. This is the location’s best kept secret until several foreign divers brought it to public attention in 1998. Unfortunately, people of dubious intentions took advantage in the find. Poachers were all in the place following your news with the Butanding migration broke out.

But thankfully, the Philippine government immediately took action to safeguard the whale sharks, declaring them as protected species. But just why is the waters of Donsol special for that whale sharks inside first place?
The sea waters with this town provide you with the right temperature for the Butandings whenever they migrate between the months of February and June. Aside from the favorable temperature of water, these sea creatures would also feast around the rich fish food of these parts. The abundant planktons give you the Butandings ample sustenance for long stay.

Every time the whale sharks learn to arrive, the location transforms in a busy place loaded with local and foreign tourists. People from different parts of the world tummy flatness, although to Donsol just to watch these incredible creatures swim and roam underwater. This year alone, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) noted the existence of 165 Butandings on the coastal waters from the area. Some of them were even capable of come as close as 20 meters in the shore. With this exciting activity, it is no wonder the quantity of tourists that usually flock the location each year raised to 20 percent.

Most of the hotels in Donsol organize activities for visitors, such transportation arrangements as an illustration, although sometimes there’s an additional fee aside in the standard price. One in the places inside area that can’t be missed is Giddy’s Place PADI Dive Resort. This resort offers a wide range of exciting activities such as diving and kayaking.

For whale shark interaction, you are required to register in the Visitor’s Center, that’s located at Barangay Dancalan. Whale shark watchers and tourists are assigned a Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) to steer them. For safety of the two tourists as well as the Butandings, additionally, there are some strict guidelines that really must be followed. The center provides tour boats with the BIO. There are resorts in the area that gives pre-booking for your tour, albeit, for any minimal service fee. Standard price is PhP 300 for the registration and PhP 3500 per boat, which may accommodate as much as 6 people.

From Manila, Donsol is offered by plane likely to Legaspi. From there, a public van or private pick-up usually takes you to the coastal town itself. Fees kind of vans usually cost around PhP 1500 – PhP 2000 per van. Private rent-a-vans can be purchased just outside of the airport’s vicinity. If you prefer public vans, you will need to ride a tricycle through the airport to the terminal. You also should wait for the seats to get filled simply uses embark on on your path to Donsol. Naturally, public vans are less expensive compared to the private ones – they cost around PhP80. You will be dropped off with the bus station within the city center. From there, you have to ride another tricyle planning to Dancalan. Alternatively, you can reach Donsol by land via bus from Manila either right to Donsol or via Legaspi.