Dauin is making a name for itself as being the new whale shark capital of the Philippines. This is not without some controversy! There are already stories all over the internet of divers riding whale sharks, so many boats it is like being in a zoo, and of course the continuing debate as to whether the local fishermen should be allowed to hand feed them or not! So let’s take a look at the real situation, after all we have actually been there!
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Whale sharks are no strangers to the Dauin / Dumaguete coastline; they have been spotted in this region for many years, though unlike some areas it is not guaranteed that you will see them. In November 2011 we spotted our first juvenile whale shark cruising quite happily along the coast of Dauin. Since then they have been seen more or less every day frequenting the coast near to Sumilon Island.
The local fishermen of Sumilon and Oslob took the arrival of the whale sharks as a positive omen and decided that they would do what they could to protect them. When a local fisherman witnessed a juvenile whale shark swimming very close to the shallow coastal waters, concern grew that they may end up getting beached, which has happened once or twice in the past. In an attempt to prevent this, the fisherman started to catch the krill and small fishes in nets and drag the feed out into the deeper waters of the channel. Instead of being scared away by the boats the whale sharks simply started to follow the fishing boats and waiting till the catch was released. The whale sharks are so comfortable with the fishermen that they now swim right up to the edge of the boat in some cases even gentle nudging the fisherman’s foot waiting for them to throw the food into their mouths. Whether you think this is right or wrong one thing is for certain it is an amazing display of animal and human interaction.
This was happening for a while before the local diving communities of Dauin and Cebu realized what was going on. It was at this point that the tourists started to arrive. As is the same the world over, where there is something amazing to see we all want to see it and sometimes to the detriment of the creature and its natural environment. The local fishermen tried to maintain some semblance of order, however when you have 4 or 5 dive and snorkel boats coming from different regions it is not always easy. Fortunately most dive shops and divers are responsible and did their utmost not to disrupt the already harmonious relationship that the whale sharks and local fishermen had developed. Unfortunately not all dive shops and divers are responsible hence the comments about riding whale sharks and boats getting too close.
As a result of this the local government and Bantay Dagat got involved. Now there is a strict policy that has been implemented in an attempt to protect the whale sharks and local fishing community. Dive and snorkel boats have to register in advance with the local Bantay Dagat, who will then allocate a time slot per boat. There are only 7 slots per day, which keeps the numbers of tourist’s way down. The captains and divemasters have to attend a seminar on how to interact in an appropriate manner with the whale sharks and how to guide their customers to do the same. There is now a large moored off area that boats are not allowed to enter, it is in this region that the fishermen take the food and start feeding. The dive and snorkel boats have dedicated moorings that they tie up to outside this roped off area. A small local style banka will then tow the snorkelers in towards the fishing boats. It is no longer allowed to dive with the whale sharks, as this was deemed too stressful for them. Snorkelers are asked to keep a respectful distance and anyone seen to be harassing the whale sharks will be asked to leave and the shop they are with fined. There is now a regulated sanctuary fee of Php200/snorkeler the money goes to the upkeep of the moored off area and to the local fishermen.
This intervention can only be positive for the whale sharks and hopefully the local communities will work together to regulate the interaction that dive and snorkel boats have with these lovely creatures. The debate as to whether the fishermen should be allowed to feed them or not will continue, just as the debate of shark feeding has gone on for years. Whether you are pro feeding or anti feeding, the bottom line is – as long as the whale sharks are not hurt and the interaction is respectful then why not, after all it is not every day that you get to see these magnificent creatures up close and personal.
