whale shark. butanding. tuki. these are the names by which we know them, the largest extant fish species.
my 1st encounter with this so graceful creatures was in february 22, 2009 in the sleepy town of donsol, sorsogon. organized by the local tourism with DENR, they were very specific about rules that need to be respected. after all, these were wild creatures we were going to encounter. our guide was very specific as well, when he says jump, then jump we must. even if you end up right in the path of the gentle shark 🙂
the donsol experience was pretty much hard to beat. the waters were dark and murky due to the planktons which was what was luring all these butandings to the area but being able to jump right into the feeding ground of the butandings, respecting and not disrupting their feeding patterns was such an amazing experience. note that these were adult butandings we were dealing with. one even passed right below our boat, as if saying good bye as we headed back to shore.
 |
| Donsol sunset |
 |
| yes, there is a butanding somewhere in this picture.
|
the whale shark experience that Oslob, Cebu is currently offering is different. my first oslob whale shark experience was last december 28, 2012 followed with another swim last january 26, 2012.
the Oslob locals call it Tuki and were quite familiar with this huge fish as they were often competing with the local fishermen for the smaller fishes and were at some point being hunted for their fins. it was only until a year or so ago when the fisherman realized they can feed the Tuki krill and develop their own brand of eco-tourism.
 |
| note: the tuki is at the back 😀 |
 |
| gentle and patient tuki. |
the whale sharks of Oslob are mostly calves, instinctively following where the bubbles are. the krill that the fishermen feed them would only seem be snacks to them but they faithfully come out, from 6:30 am to 12:30 pm, following the small boats that are spewing out krill.
what makes the oslob experience fantastic is that the clear blue waters give you a fantastic view both under and above the sea of this beautiful animals. as one foreigner kept on gushing – amazing animals!
while there is still controversy over the whale-shark feeding based eco-tourism in oslob, the local government in cooperation with DENR is trying to do what will eventually be best for the local people and the local Tukis. Constant monitoring is done by marine biologists to note the Tukis’ health. however, what can definitely be improved would be the locals’ too friendly to tourist approach. emphasizing the atleast 3 meter away rule has to be strictly enforced. The waters are clear enough so that you don’t really need to be swimming up so close to get a clear picture.
Want to experience swimming with the whale sharks while you can? It is quite easy.
One just needs to drive down to the scenic town of Tan-awan, Oslob which is a good 2.5 to 3 hours ride from Cebu City. There should be a whale shark watching sign that leads to the starting point. Pay the appropriate fees and after which there is a briefing for the Do’s and Dont’s. Simply watching would cost you 300 Php, 500 Php if you want to snorkel and 600 Php if you want to dive. Shower rooms are available for 5 Php.
my take 