Swimming with whale sharks, locally known as butanding, was featured as the Best Animal Encounter in Asia by Time magazine in 2004. Whale sharks can be seen between November and June, with presence peaking between February and May.
The presence of whale sharks in the town of Donsol was known to the
local residents over 100 years. But the locals believed these gentle
giants were dangerous. This wrong notion changed when in December 26,
1997, a group of scuba divers led by Romir Aglugub – a PADI diving
instructor, discovered its presence, and interacted and came in contact
with the whale sharks. Even the members of the diving group of Romir was
having second thought if the fish is docile, until the instructor led
the way into the water and came in contact with the whale shark. Copy of
video footage taken by the group was passed on to the media and the
WWF-Philippines. By March 1998, Donsol became world-class tourist
destination and now known as the “Whale Shark Capital of the World”.
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