By JENNA SY 

It is a bit ironic that I frequent Eastern Visayas only to dive when a lot of people come only to see the butanding or whale shark. To be fair, the best time to scuba dive in the region is when the whale sharks are out of the bay. Underwater visibility can go as far as 30 meters, and the water temperature is warm and comfortable. It should be their summer months that start from May to October. 

In contrast, whale shark season, which runs from November to April, gets occasional rain showers. The water becomes less visible due to plankton, which the whale sharks feed on, and the water temperature drops. It coincides with amihan and can be considered as the “winter months” in the Philippines. 

I had briefly seen a whale shark during a diving trip in the Maldives, and I have been offered whale shark tours in foreign places where it is available. I’ve always thought however that I’d rather experience it in my beloved country. In the Philippines, we have Oslob, Cebu in Central Visayas, and Donsol, Sorsogon in Southern Luzon as the major whale shark destinations. 

Buwan ng Butanding

While I only came to Eastern Visayas to dive, I was in the right place at the right time to join their popular whale shark snorkeling trip in Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte. Sogod Bay lies in the southern part of Leyte Island and is home to an abundant species of marine life. The bay naturally has such plentiful jellyfish and plankton during the season, that it became part of the whale shark’s migration pattern. The municipality in Southern Leyte that has daily whale shark tours (when in season) is Pintuyan. It is not as famous as Oslob or Donsol, but it’s not commercialized. Most importantly, they are ethical and they don’t feed the whale sharks. Truthfully, there were only three bangkas (boats) of snorkelers when we arrived, while there were about 20 tiny bangkas of the spotters.

Everyone put on their wetsuits (to prevent jellyfish stings), fins, masks, and snorkels in anticipation of the whale shark. As the spotters gave the signal, we quickly jumped in to swim and catch a glimpse of it. It actually becomes a whale shark frenzy when all the snorkelers try to keep up with it. The whale shark neither stops nor stays long when it appears. It carries on to where it’s heading or swims deep. When we lost sight of it, we returned to our big bangkas to wait for the next whale shark to come. 

Bangka ni Baloy

I went up to Kuya Baloy’s small bangka. A local from Pintuyan, Kuya Baloy has been a spotter ever since the whale shark tours started 18 years ago. He welcomed me to join him in his bangka, while he searched for the whale sharks. Rather than waiting for the spotters to signal the big bangkas the presence of the whale sharks, I had Kuya Baloy directly notify me of his sightings. I thought I was in the whale shark front seat joining him in his bangka!

It was a gloomy day, and Kuya Baloy commented that the lack of sunlight doesn’t help in searching for whale sharks. Nonetheless, we were able to find three of them swimming by the bay. They average 18 meters long and are massive, so it’s hard to miss them in the shallows. While their size may be intimidating, these whale sharks are actually, quite literally, gentle giants. I have encountered huge species of fish, and I get terrified (of their size) for my life. On the contrary, swimming with the whale sharks is simply magical. There is something about these graceful whale sharks that gives a calming vibe. Seeing it come with its entourage of remoras under its belly and witnessing it open its mouth so widely to feed is such a breathtaking experience—no wonder the butanding holds a soft spot in Filipinos’ hearts. 

Toward the end of the trip, Kuya Baloy and I saw splashes on the surface. Without hesitation, I jumped in to watch the school of jackfish playfully swimming underwater. I can only be grateful for these moments I get to actually live life in my own country. 

Biyaheng Butanding

Eastern Visayas is a bit of an off-the-beaten track for visitors including local tourists. Nonetheless, the travel is worth the experience. From Manila, you can fly to Tacloban, and proceed by land to Padre Burgos or Pintuyan in Southern Leyte. Alternatively, there are ferries (or roros) from Cebu to either Ormoc or Hilongos and then you can proceed traveling by land to Southern Leyte. 

The whale shark tour commences in Pintuyan, but most of the visitors joining the whale shark tour come from Padre Burgos. There are more resorts in Padre Burgos, and most of them organize the half-day whale shark tour. I am a regular guest at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort for diving; but since it was whale shark season, I decided to join one of their whale shark tours. Coming from the resort, it only takes about an hour to get to Pintuyan on the big bangka. Upon arriving at Pintuyan, you’ll have three hours to snorkel with the whale sharks. 

Batas Butanding

While the whale shark tour is the only means of tourism in Pintuyan, it is worth praising how the local government maintains it ethically to protect and respect the gentle giants. There are basic rules the guides orient snorkelers with, which are not to touch the whale sharks, keep a distance of three meters, and not to use flash photography. Beyond this, feeding the whale sharks is forbidden. Sogod Bay has a very healthy coastal marine ecosystem, and there are abundant food available underwater for the whale sharks to pass by. The whale sharks just come, without humans needing to feed them. Unsurprisingly, most of the tourists choose Sogod Bay for the whale shark tour for ethical reasons.