Swimming with wild whale sharks is truly a bucket list worthy experience that you will remember for life. While many destinations now market swimming with whale sharks as a tourist activity, many of these experiences are unfortunately unethical and unnatural. However, there are a handful of places that still offer a high chance of encountering whale sharks, that are both in the wild and won’t negatively impact their natural environment. Here’s the scoop on how to swim with whale sharks ethically in the Philippines.
About Whale Sharks
A whale shark is actually not a whale at all, but the largest fish species known to currently exist. These majestic animals are incredibly beautiful, and not dangerous for humans. It’s a truly humbling experience to swim alongside something so big yet so gentle.
10 Facts About Whale Sharks
- Whale sharks can grow to be 12 meters long (almost 40 feet!) which is almost the length of a school bus. Recent reports estimate some are as long as 18 meters!!
- Whale sharks that survive to adulthood have a lifespan of about 100 years. Some experts believe they can live up to 150 years
- While whale sharks can swim fast, they prefer to move slow. The usually cruise through life moving at 3 miles per hour
- They can be found in almost all temperate and tropical oceans. From Asia to Africa to Hawaii, they can be found in warmer waters all over the world
- They migrate all over the world, to follow feeding patterns. They can migrate thousands of miles at a time
- Their mouths are 4 feet in diameter. While this may sound scary, there have been zero reports of whale sharks ever accidentally swallowing a human
- They actually do have teeth, just very small ones. For this reason, they can only eat tiny creatures such as shrimp and plankton
- It’s common to find some small fish attached to the whale shark’s body, sometimes even several! They coexist in a mutually beneficial relationship, where the whale shark gets cleaned of parasites that will be eaten by the suckerfish
- Sadly, it’s estimated that 10% or less of whale sharks will live to adulthood
- They are currently an endangered species. This is partly due to the effects climate change has had on their environment and food supply
Where to Find Them
The Philippines is one of the best destinations for encountering whale sharks. They have many islands, in tropical waters, and large numbers of whale sharks are known to migrate here in certain seasons.
Why You Shouldn’t Swim With Whale Sharks in Cebu
Cebu may be the original place where swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines became mass commercialized. But the truth is, you should honestly avoid swimming with whale sharks here.
Unnatural Environment
You are not swimming with whale sharks in a natural environment. They bait the whale sharks to come close to shore, which alters their behavior. You’ll actually be swimming with them near shore in a small lagoon filled with motorboat oil. In nature, they would never swim in this area on their own.
You basically take turns with other tourists, jumping in what can be considered an outdoor zoo. They aren’t enclosed in cages, but the experience can’t be considered a wild encounter at all.
You will get good photos with the whale shark, then get out to allow the next round of tourists their turn. While this type of experience guarantees a whale shark sighting, its only appeal is for people desperate for a photo.
Otherwise, the entire experience is too short and unpleasant to say you’ve actually experienced swimming with a whale shark.
Unethical Practice
Then there is the unethical aspect of it all. By feeding the whale sharks, their behavior patterns become altered. Whale shark generally should migrate long distances to follow feeding patterns.
By feeding them in this small lagoon, they lose their natural feeding instincts, which has extreme negative impacts for the species in the short and long term.
The whale sharks also get injured from swimming into the tourist boats. It’s just a depressing situation overall.
For the best experience and ethical practices, avoid Oslob in Cebu. There are way better places to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines.
Ethical Ways to Find Whale Sharks
Scuba Diving
The most ethical and wild way to see whale sharks are by seeking them where they are 100% in the wild. This can be achieved by scuba diving.
The downside to this method, is that your ability to encounter a whale shark is entirely up to chance. From my years as a diver, I have only encountered one whale shark. It is extremely rare, even for the instructors. Also, not everyone is scuba certified.
Eco-Tourism Trips
So the best way to see whale sharks in a way that is both ethical, natural, and with high encounter chances, is to visit an area known to have peak whale shark activity and join an eco-tourism excursion.
This exists in Donsol, in the Albay Province of the Philippines.
Whale Sharks in Donsol
Donsol has long been nicknamed the whale shark capital of the world, and the numbers sure do back up this title.
From November to June, whale sharks flock here to feed in the plankton rich waters. This window of time is long compared to average whale shark seasons in other destinations, with peak activity between April and May.
The whale shark experience here is offered by eco-tourism organizations. They offer the experience of swimming with whale sharks, with both the customer experience in mind, and wellbeing of the animals in mind.
It’s one of the only places in nature where you are almost guaranteed a whale shark sighting in peak season.
About Donsol
Donsol itself, was a rural fishing village up until the turn of the century. It has always been teeming with whale sharks during the peak season, but no one seemed to notice it except the locals.
Then, the area caught the attention of the World Wildlife Foundation. It became dubbed a high priority place for studying and viewing whale sharks. Since then word slowly got out, but unlike Cebu, Donsol has still yet to see any over-tourism or crowding from tourists desperate for a photo with whale sharks.
The tourism here remains sustainable, and you can still see whale sharks in their true natural environment.
How to Get to Donsol
Most people will opt to fly to Donsol. While it’s possible to get there by bus, the journey is very long and most routes are indirect, meaning you’ll have to transfer somewhere.
The domestic flights within The Philippines are affordable enough that it’s better to just fly, in order to save time.
Flying From Manila
The closest airport to Donsol is Legazpi Airport. You can only fly here domestically, so if you are coming from overseas it’s likely you’ll transit through Manila or Cebu first.
The flight from Manila takes a little over an hour. You can fly with Philippine Airlines or Cebu Airways. A one way flight from Manila to Legazpi can cost as low as $45, especially if you don’t book too last minute.
Upon landing at Legazpi Airport, you’ll have your first view of the impressive, and very active Mayon Volcano.
Legazpi to Donsol
After landing in Legazpi, you have another hour and a half to reach Donsol. You can take a van or jeep taxi to Donsol directly from the airport.
Some hotels have airport transfers included, which I’ll talk about later.
Going By Bus
If you insist on going by bus, you can take a bus from Manila to Donsol. The journey will take at least 14 hours.
Recently, a direct route from Manila to Donsol has become available, but it only departs once a day.
For most other routes, you’ll transfer through Legazpi, before arriving in Donsol.
You can use this website to check bus times and daily departures from manila to Donsol.
Where to Stay
I would opt to stay in Donsol itself. The town is tiny and rural, but there are some pretty awesome, yet inexpensive hotels located right on the waterfront here.
It’s a cool area to chill out for a day or two before your swim with the whale sharks.
Elysia Beach Resort: This is where I stayed, and it’s truly the biggest bang for your buck in town. The pool area is awesome, there are hammocks on the beach, and there are even little bungalow style seating areas along the waterfront. They offer airport shuttle services to make your journey to Donsol simple. The bar is also amazing, I recommend getting a whale shark cocktail after your dive to celebrate!
Touristlink Homestay: If you are traveling alone or on a low budget, you can opt to book a room here instead. A bed starts at $11 USD a night.
Swimming With Whale Sharks
In order to swim with the whale sharks, you’ll need to organize a boat trip.
You can do this on arrival, it’s not entirely necessary to book anything before hand. However if you want to, you can request a quote here.
These whale shark encounters were originally organized by the WWF. So you can feel confident that necessary protocols were put in place to ensure the wellbeing of the animals.
To swim with the whale sharks, you’ll have to pay about $70 USD for half a day on a boat, plus another 300 pesos (about $6 USD) for the registration fee.
Generally, your half day trip will depart in the morning, when whale shark sightings are more likely. Each boat is limited to 6 people, to ensure minimal disturbance of the whale shark’s environment.
Things to Know Before You Go
You Must Be a Good Swimmer
Although the boats provide you with a life jacket, if you want a chance to keep up with the whale sharks, you must be a decent swimmer.
The lifejacket gets in the way, and I actually did not use mine. I believe this is one of the reasons I was one of the few who could keep up with the whale shark.
At some points, I could swim with one alone, for several minutes!
The others on my boat were much slower, and since they couldn’t keep up, they got less encounter time with the whale sharks. If you are a slow swimmer, you can still have a good experience. It’ll just be harder to keep up in the water.
Don’t Touch the Whale Sharks
To protect the animals and as not to disturb them, it is entirely forbidden to touch the whale sharks.
There was a guy swimming alongside me at one point who reached his hand out to pet the top of the whale shark. And like clockwork, a guide suddenly came to the rescue, and promptly smacked his hand away.
They take protecting these animals seriously, which is a good thing.
Whale Shark Sightings Aren’t Guaranteed
When I planned my trip to Donsol, I was so determined to see a whale shark, that I booked myself an extra night in town. This was in case I didn’t see one on my first try, I was prepared to try again the next day.
There is no refund if you don’t see a whale shark, unfortunately, and since this is a wild encounter, nothing is guaranteed. Despite the huge numbers of whale sharks that flock here, you can never fully predict nature.
If you are set on seeing a whale shark, I’d recommend having a flexible schedule, or possibly booking an extra night. There are enough things to do in the area anyway in case you do end up having extra free time (more on that later).
Review on My Experience
I visited Donsol in early March. This was actually just before the peak season, so I was unsure how lucky we’d get.
It turned out, I had nothing to worry about. We spotted a whale shark basically right when we got far enough from shore. Throughout my half day on the water, we saw 4 more.
In many instances, I was almost alone in the water with the whale shark. Although they move slow, one push of their powerful tail and they are gone! Those in my group quickly became tired and couldn’t keep up.
I can’t even put into words how unreal and humbling it is to swim alongside these incredible animals. To this day they are one of my favorite animals, and this experience is what made me realize that!
Is it Worth it?
If given the chance, I would go back without a doubt. I definitely recommend this experience over the one offered in Cebu.
In Donsol, they are making efforts to allow us to encounter these amazing animals while still protecting them. We should support this type of tourism, over the questionable practices offered elsewhere.
It costs more in Donsol, but you get the real experience of swimming with whale sharks in the wild, and not in a situation where they are baited and sometimes hurt for the sake of tourism.
Other Things to Do
Although it takes more effort to get to Donsol than Cebu, a trip here can really be made worth your while by exploring Legazpi and the surrounding areas. Here are some highlights to include on your trip.
ATV trip to Mayon Volcano
You can opt to take an ATV tour to explore the jungles and area just below Mount Mayon.
This region took on it’s unique landscape from the volcanic activity from Mount Mayon itself. A visit here will take you through unspoiled and rugged natural beauty. You’ll cross rivers, trek in the jungle, and take in mindblowing views all the while.
Trek Mount Mayon
Trekking up Mount Mayon is also possible. However, you should keep in mind that this is in fact an active volcano. In 2013, tragedy struck when it erupted while a group of hikers were summiting it. None of them survived.
But if this doesn’t scare you, a trek up Mayon would be a major bucket list experience for sure.
Quitinday Underground River
This was a highlight of our time in this region. A truly unique experience that starts with taking a bamboo raft through a completely underground river. You’ll float along through the cave in total darkness, until reaching a narrow river gorge that’s perfect for swimming.
There are even waterfalls inside the underground portion of the river! This place can’t be missed.
Explore Legazpi
Another unexpected highlight, was Legazpi city itself. There are lot’s of Spanish ruins to be discovered throughout the city. The most notable ones being the Cagsawa Ruins and Daraga Church.
Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave
A cave located in the jungles. It features stalactite and stalagmite formations, but the best part is an opening in the cave that offers the most beautiful view of Mount Mayon, with the jungle in the foreground.
Beware, if you are fearful of insects (such as spiders), this cave is full of them. I made it out alive and it was worth the trouble, but consider yourself warned.
And there you have it! A complete guide on how to swim with whale sharks ethically in the Philippines. Have you been to the Philippines? Let me know your favorite place in this amazing country below!
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Swimming with whale sharks – well probably scuba diving with whale shark – is pretty high on my list of things to do. We missed them on our trip to Belize by just 2 weeks. It would certainly be awesome to plan this for a trip to the Philippines. And we would definitely want to scuba dive to them and not in a man-made feeding area.
I didn’t realise the survival rate of whale sharks was so low. I’d love to dive with these or just view them from a distance,
Wow, I am Filipina and I didn’t know that Donsol is the Whale Shark Capital of the World! We are planning a scuba diving tour of places there in 2022. Maybe we will include Donsol!
I am so jealous of your amazing pictures!! I went whale shark diving in Cabo and didn’t see anything 🙁 It is an ethical place to do it, but unfortunately the weather didn’t cooperate. The water was too murky to see anything. Noe that I know I can try again in the Philippines, I’ll have to add this to my bucket list. Thanks for sharing!