Spotted giants of the blue

DONSOL, Sorsogon, Philippines — “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” — James Michener

The season they say is almost over and yet they still come, the tourists that is, and they have flown or driven all the way down to this sleepy town to “interact” with the docile gentle giants of the blue. In the two days we’ve been here, we have met Dutch, French, Russian, German, Australian, American, Canadian and Singaporean tourists who have all come here for the chase. It is addicting, awe inspiring, tiring and brings out childlike glee in all.

Yes, my family and I have made it down to Donsol, Sorsogon where we have repeatedly gone out on boats for two days in a row, to search and interact with the gentle ‘’butanding.’’ We had planned on doing another road trip similar to our Boracay adventure last year, but this time we would have started from Pasig City to Lipa, Batangas, to the Bicol region, experience Cam Sur, visit Mayon and finally hang at Donsol and chase after the whale sharks.

Unfortunately, our trusty Toyota Revo ended up needing a long overdue overhaul so we left it behind to have a second life while we went for a quick and easy trip to Donsol.

Because my wife Karen is the equivalent of a travel agency on two feet, she quickly arranged our flight and accommodations all through the internet including the payment.

Our adventure started out with a 4 a.m. wake up call from the Basic Taxi driver advising us he was in front of our house 30 minutes ahead of our booking. Because of this service, we no longer need to arrange for someone’s driver to bring us or pick us up from the airport. We also don’t have to stand at the corner waiting and hoping an empty cab will pass by.

We, of course, took Philippine Airlines as we always do because it is statistically more reliable particularly for domestic flights. The added advantage is that PAL has a dedicated terminal which simplifies check-in. The Canadians we met were all praises on how PAL whisked them from plane to plane just to get from Vancouver to Legazpi, Albay which is the nearest airport going to Donsol.

Most people going to Donsol are so focused on that adventure that they overlook a bonus that awaits early morning travellers on PAL. Even before you land at Legazpi, you will immediately recognize the almost perfect cone of Mayon Volcano. Any inconvenience you experience with waking up so early is such a little sacrifice once you land at the Legazpi airport and get a front row view of the beauty and majesty of Mayon.

We were soon off on an hour and a half drive through Legazpi, Daraga, Pilar and finally Donsol. This ride usually costs P1,500 one way for a van. We stayed at the Elysia Beach resort which was quiet, clean, had a small swimming pool, moderately priced and a staff that represented true Filipino hospitality.

Since we arrived early, we managed to get breakfast and go over to the tourist information center where you register, pay for the boat or your share, if you split costs with others. They limit six people per boat which makes sense since you need the room to move around in your snorkeling gear. If you don’t like carrying stuff or excess baggage, you can actually rent snorkeling gear at one of the stalls in the tourist information center. Once you’ve paid, you go to a room for your video orientation, thereafter you are introduced to your designated BIO or Butanding Inter-action Officer.

Be forewarned, listen to what they tell you because they know their job, they all take it seriously and if you are nice to them they can make the difference between an unforgettable experience or a BAD trip. We were quite impressed at the level of training, commitment, their ability to communicate in English as well as their physical strength. Our BIOs Caloy and Joel had to tow first timers on each arm while herding their six-person team into position in each “dive.”

If you are not experienced in snorkeling, it would be a good idea to go to the beach or the pool beforehand and get some practice as well as properly fitting your mask and fins. Also buy or make some anti-fogging liquid because this becomes a problem even for experienced divers.

Thirty to 40 minutes out along the coast the network of spotters, guys standing on top of poles on each banca, started making hand signals and guiding each other towards the white spotted, blue bodied whale sharks. You don’t really see them from the boat, you simply trust the BIO and crew when they say “Get ready.” This will be as close as any land lover will get to a SEAL team experience. You all sit in a row on one side of the banca and the minute the BIO says dive, you dive!

You kick, you swim, you swallow some sea water but your excitement takes over and before you know it, if you said a prayer beforehand like we did at every dive, you soon encounter this silent gliding giants. You almost want to talk to them, ask them to slow down or come up a little higher, but it’s the unpredictability of it all that makes it all so great, plus the fact that in a minute or two, you once again have to go back to the boat and play catch up with the whale sharks. It is tiring, it is fun, and you want to come back for more. Fish tales: More Fun in the Philippines!