| Page Views: 223 Last Visit to Donsol: March, 2009 | Another Life Dream Fulfilled (under construction) by monina_c - last update: Mar 24, 2009 |
:) :D Julie Andrews was rumored to have parodied her famous song on her 69th birthday. I don't care if its just one of those urban legends. I loved it and I'm sharing it with you :
Back pains, confused brains, and no fear of sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.
When the joints ache,
when the hips break,
When the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.
:) March 22, 2009 is going to be one of my "favorite things". It is the day when i finally got to fulfill one of the items in my "Must Dos Before I Die" list. It is something that will make my 44th birthday special.
A group of VT friends and I took the plane to Legaspi last Saturday to go around Legaspi, Tabaco and on to Donsol for the ultimate chapter of our travel adventure, Whale shark (Butanding) interaction. In the morning of Sunday, trooped to the lecture hall of the Donsol Butanding Interaction Center ( I forgot the proper name of the center, but you get the idea) early in the morning.... There we got a mini-film showing about the whole butanding experience, what to do and where to place ourselves while interacting with these gentle giants. Then we went out the the staging area with our Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO) Mang Jun, we call him our Bioman (a manga character from childhood japanese cartoon).
The film showing and all the stories i heard about the whole encounter pales in comparison to the actual experience I had. It brings home the truth that one cannot understand/appreciate an event/happening unless she/he experiences it him/herself.
Butanding (whale shark, Rhincodon typus) are fishes that grow up to about 15 ft. to 40 ft. in length. They eat mainly fish and krill. The town of Donsol in Sorsogon have been blessed to be the site where these gentle giants congregate between the months of February to May (peak) and around October and November each year. Its yearly migration to this otherwise sleepy fishing town has made Donsol a mecca for nature lovers who are out to experience the ultimate thrill! |
|  | Spotter Visitors must register with the Donsol Tourism Office located adjacent to Vitton Resort. If your group is small or you are alone, just tell the tourism officer and they will try and help you get someone to share the cost of the boat with you. Each boat can accommodate up to 7 persons. They do not allow the use of SCUBA equipment during the encounter but they do have a shack where you can rent snorkel equipment for P300/set.
After the lecture/mini-film showing, we collected our snorkeling gear and took our designated boat. We sailed about 15 minutes out to sea with our spotter perched on top of the boat keeping a sharp eye for a sight of butanding. While we waited with beating hearts and weak knees for the signal to jump overboard, most of us tried to imagine the encounter we were about to have and trying to keep in mind the reminders of our BIOMAN. :) |
| | This is it!!!! Cess and Ed waiting for the signal to jump!
:) One thing to remember is that it is your boat crew's expertise that makes the experience a success, so please cooperate with them fully. From experience, their sharp eyes and years of sailing/fishing gave them the skill to time when the creature will arrive in your area down to the exact minute! So when they say JUMP INTO THE WATER! Just do it!!! Do not hesitate or dawdle! Every second you are in the water is precious moment so do not waste your time. :) Take your courage in hand and jump in for the experience of a lifetime!
It is important to remember that the butandings are the master of the encounter. It is the lookout of the humans to keep the path unempeded for these sea creatures. We must not disturb nor cause any undue stress to them. So keeping proper distance is a must.
Below is the Code of Conduct by which every swimmer must adhere to to the letter! Charing!!!
1. Do not touch or ride the Whale Shark.
2. Do not restrict the movement of the Whale Shark, or impede its natural path.
3. Maintain a distance of 3 meters from the head or body of the Whale Shark, and 4 meters from its tail.
4. Do not use flash photography.
5. Do not use SCUBA gear, scooters, jet skis or any other motorized underwater propulsion machines.
6. A maximum of six (6) swimmers per Whale Shark is allowed, and only one (1) boat per Whale Shark.
For further information please read: Sorsogon Tourism
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| Pros: | "Everything is perfect!" | | Cons: | "Should have stayed longer" | | In A Nutshell: | "The Donsol experience is a MUST for every traveler to the Philippines" |
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 Comments for monina_c about Donsol | | | | |
pattypoo Sun Aug 30, 2009 10:11 UTC
I come back to this page and wonder how you had the nerve to do this xxx | airasia Sat Aug 1, 2009 12:29 UTC
hey cool experince with sharky. Me still around abnormal desert. So abnormal that i forgot what a beach is ; (( | joiwatani Thu May 7, 2009 08:56 UTC
What a great experience to swim with the whales! An experience you will never forget! | jumpingnorman Sat Apr 18, 2009 03:44 UTC
WOW -- the whaleshark is really amazing! they also have it in the coasts of Mexico! I am so glad this is becoming a tourist destination in the Philippines - wonderful page! Norman :) |
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