The Ethical Solution to Diving with Whale Sharks in the Philippines

I was in search of an ethical solution to diving with whale sharks in the Philippines.

I’m in love with the Philippines.

It could possibly be the most underrated country in South East Asia. A big claim in a part of the world known for the cheap insanity of its nightlife, low cost of living, incredible natural wonder, and friendly people. Still, the Philippines stands out. A unique mess of thousands of island paradises, exploding with culture, gorgeous landscapes, and all functioning inside a semi-lawless chaos. It’s somewhere you need to experience to fully appreciate. It’s here where I found the best place to go diving with whale sharks.

The Philippines is not without its problems, and animal tourism remains one of the tropical nations lesser known issues. Most practices are at best exploitative, and at worst, downright torture. I’m really not one of those PETA types. I’m not a vegetarian. I’m not subscribed to any animal welfare institutions. I don’t even like cats.

Although, once you are aware the majority of problems are caused by the naivety of tourists, it’s hard to turn a blind eye.

A worrying amount of animal tourism on the surface appears harmless, but in reality, is extremely cruel. It only takes a quick google search to discover that riding elephants causes deep physical and psychological trauma. Exotic animals offered for photos have often had their teeth or claws removed and are sedated to keep them passive. And, places like Thailand’s Tiger Temple are perhaps the manifestation of evil itself.

In the south of Cebu Island, Philippines, tourists can swim with whale sharks all year round. The town of Oslob is now world famous, hosting hundreds, even thousands of tourists every day.  It can be difficult to decide where to stay in Cebu because there are so many unique options from luxury accommodations to budget hotels, but you can be certain no matter which accommodation you choose, you’ll meet someone interested in swimming with whale sharks.

From sunrise to sunset, the bay is a clutter of tiny bamboo boats, leaked petrol, fisherman, divers, and over-enthusiastic swimmers trying to get their hands on the world’s biggest fish.

Oslob can promise whale sharks because the sharks are fed to guarantee they stick around. However, keeping this promise severely impacts the health and survival of the very animals the local community depend on.

Tour operators import plankton and krill that are not found in the fish’s natural diet, food which has been shown to be deficient in a number of nutrients needed for their survival. Feeding also disrupts natural migration, artificially keeping the sharks in Oslob far beyond the natural plankton and krill season, possibly effecting breeding and the local ecosystem. At the same time, these practices condition whale sharks to associate humans with food, a potential death sentence on other legs of their migration.

In addition to the dangers of feeding, the rules of interaction are not followed or enforced. Tourists constantly touch and hang onto whale sharks, as the animals try to reach feed from the boats. Boats which routinely run into or over the animals, causing serious injuries as these gentle giants innocently swim toward any vessel, in the hopes of food.

The wonder of seeing these gentle giants of the ocean is significantly diminished in the context of a frenzied tourist soup, containing injured whale sharks, crammed boats, and greedy tour operators.

As in the majority of animal tourism cases, it’s a simple equation of poor struggling communities and naïve tourists that leads to exploitation.

Almost no one wants to contribute to the mistreatment of animals, it’s just a matter of education for tourists and alternative means of income for locals.

So what’s the solution?

I’ve been obsessed with whale sharks since I learned how to dive. Swimming with them in the wild has been on the top of my bucket list.

These enormous creatures grow to over 12 metres (40ft) long and spend their time lazily following the populations of plankton and shrimp that spawn throughout the world’s great oceans. They are an embodiment of freedom, gracefully, carelessly and literally going with the flow.

When I heard about the exploitative practices of Oslob, I was heartbroken. After all, I still wanted to see the sharks. I felt the knowledge that whale sharks would be injured, malnourished, and their survival possibly impacted, might taint the experience in Oslob. I had to look elsewhere.

The small fishing village of Donsol lies in the Bicol region, about an hour’s drive from Legazpi Airport, which is a further forty minutes via frequent flights from the island of Cebu. I had heard that the village fisherman who once hunted the sharks were now committed to their protection and feeding them was strictly forbidden.

I needed to find out if Donsol was where I could ethically find my wild whale shark.

The first day I opted to go on a whale shark interaction. Regulation limits the number of boats each day to six, with a maximum of six passengers per boat. Every vessel relies on spotters, in place of feeders, searching for the dark shadows of the shark. As a result, sightings, though extremely common, are not guaranteed.

I was optimistic after hearing there had been three sightings the day before. However, after almost three hours of searching I was understandably losing my optimism. Seconds before the final spark of hope was about to be extinguished, I felt the jolt of the engine. The captain reset our course, heading toward a commotion in the distance. We frantically kitted up and waited patiently, excruciatingly patiently, on the side of the boat.

Just as we reached the other boats, there was silence and the captain turned to us “it dived” he said. Disheartened was an understatement; we had missed it by minutes.

It was only the beginning of the whale shark season, which stretches from November to June. Maybe I’d made a mistake coming in early January. There was another option, I still hadn’t been diving. If I could choose a perfect time to see the sharks, during a dive would be it. Though, I thought it the less likely option.

Three hours into the following day and one dive down we were headed for a dive site locals called ‘the Manta bowl’. I must have been half asleep when the boat came to a halt. The crew started screaming “whale shark!”, running up and down both sides of the boat. As i jumped to my feet an enormous creature breached the surface in front of us. The boat turned to parallel the animal as we immediately tried to gear up as fast as we could.

jumping in and descending into the ocean, we impatiently went through all our safety checks, but the shark had disappeared into the blue.

Disappointed we tried to orient ourselves, as a huge dark shadow came over our group. I looked up to see a second monstrous whale shark, peacefully glide over top of us.

I screamed into my regulator and scrambled to take photos, while hopelessly trying to keep up with it.

The powerful ripples of its tail effortlessly swimming through the water, could be felt all around us.

I didn’t know it was possible to feel so excited, so accomplished, after swimming with a fish. But, this was something I had worked toward and was determined to do right.

The agony of missing out the day before, the uncertainty over my time in Donsol, and the thrill of encountering a whale shark in the ideal situation, overwhelmed me with emotion. Sounds cliché when you say it out loud, but it was a humbling moment.

Donsol doesn’t offer a guarantee of whale sharks and there is a season to be weary of, with February and March being peak season. What it does offer is one of the most incredible experiences you can have with a truly wild and free animal. For the time-poor traveling in the Philippines, maybe it’s not worth the risk of not seeing one. Though even without whale sharks the Bicol region is stunningly beautiful.

If you can’t make it to Donsol this time around, try not to settle for Oslob. It may require a little more patience and luck, but, Donsol provides your best chance of seeing wild whale sharks, arguably in the world. Not only that, your contribution to the community helps create the template for a sustainable and ethical relationship between the whale sharks, local communities, and tourists. Efforts that will ensure the well being, safety, and survival of all parties involved.

How you travel, what you do, and where you spend your money is always your decision, but at least now you won’t be so naïve when you make it to the Philippines.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to more ethical solutions. We’d like practice more sustainable tourism and participate in ethical animal encounters.

Dr. Hayley Stainton, the founder, owner, and CEO of Tourism Teacher, said, “if we continue to act in the way that we are, the planet will not survive. And on a smaller scale and in a somewhat shorter time frame, if we continue to holiday in the way that we have been, tourism will not survive.”

Hopefully, this statement will impact you as much as it has impacted me.

Swimming with whale sharks is a remarkable experience, but at what cost?