The Philippines - Renowned for the Diversity of its Marine Wildlife

The Philippines is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to its diversity of wildlife, no more so than beneath its warm waters.

The country is a magnet for diving enthusiasts, and, such is the wealth of marine creatures, the beaches of its numerous islands are favoured by swimmers and snorkelers too. 

Whale Sharks

Visitors are keen to experience whale sharks, and although these can be found all around the Philippines, they are particularly predominate at Oslob, Cebu, (where they congregate all year round), and at Donsol, Bicol, where the season is between November and May.

Whale Shark Interaction - Good or Bad?

Dolphin-Spotting

Around Bohol and Negros islands taking boat trips scouting for whales and dolphins is a popular excursion. The boatmen are skilled at spotting these creatures and tiling amongst them.

Turtles and other Marine Species

Turtles are another species wide-spread, and favoured spots for experiencing these creatures include Apo Island, (near Dumaguete), Port Barton, (Palawan), and Balicasag Island (off Bohol). Delve beneath the waves of the Philippines oceans and see much more besides.

Read more about Philippines marine wildlife on our website...

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Philippines Whale Shark Interaction. Good or Bad? And Where's Best - Oslob or Donsol?

We were very interested to receive some feedback from guests who had travelled to the Philippines and who had experienced whale shark interaction in both Donsol, Bicol, AND Oslob, Cebu. Their verdict made interesting reading on a subject that seems to have divided opinion, especially regarding the welfare of these magnificent creatures... Tweet this...

"We would like to share with you more information about the whale shark interaction side of things.  We had a great experience at Oslob - 40+ minutes swimming with relaxed gentle whale sharks with just five minutes in a paddled boat to get to the site from the centre / shore.

We were aware of previous concerns raised about the health of the Oslob whale sharks, we watched carefully and they seemed very healthy and in no way injured. There were 12 whale sharks in our pod which was apparently the second 'shift' for the day. 

Also the guides at Oslob were proactive in taking photos of you with your own go-pro which improved the experience even more.

Oslob contrasted markedly with Donsol with 3.5 hours of searching with twenty + other high powered, noisy boats to see nothing (four boats returned with nil result).

Their so-called 'strict' rules include allowing up to 30 high powered boats with six guests each with only six guests at a time near a shark. These dozens of boats criss-cross an area for hours to try and find one but obviously if there are any sharks there they simply dive deep.

Then there was a frantic dash to a spot with a single young 4m whale shark.  More than thirty snorkelers then jumped into the water urged on by their official Butanding Interaction Officers (who are there to protect the sharks...) to be about 30cm from the shark with GoPros and Selfie sticks and fins splashing everywhere, chasing it.  The whale shark was clearly being harassed and so it dived.

I saw the whale shark for a maximum of six seconds, maybe (out of a four hour boat search and return). Many guests could not get out of their boats fast enough so they missed out. Surprisingly, the interaction centre staff genuinely all thought this was an amazingly great experience and were very happy and smiling about it all, congratulating us on our success.

The official record for that day shows that two whale sharks were sighted (a fisherman saw another one somewhere else but not near the tourists) and guests swam with it and enjoyed it, and this looks like every other report. The reality is quite a different story when put in a more accurate perspective with the facts. Their rules about 3m exclusion zones and not touching, blocking or harassing the animals all go out the window when they only have one very brief chance to interact and the BIOs actually encouraged it.

There are virtually no sustained sightings near Donsol - either the whale sharks are not there or they are but dive deep to avoid the powerboats.  They refer to a 10 metre shark being spotted by fishermen in the area but I expect it is a loner that is smart enough to avoid the tourists.  

Talking to the very experienced guides, it seems there are no big number sightings at Donsol these days, with one to two being the norm (four is a big day)." - Mark, Australia

Thanks to Mark for taking the trouble to pass on his experiences. We continue to send guests to both Donsol and Oslob for the experience of swimming with whale sharks. We know the whale sharks are an important part of each area's local economy, so we hope they are looked after, and that the regulations that help protect these creatures are observed.

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Wildlife in the Philippines...

The Philippine Tarsier

The Philippines has one of the world's highest biodiversities. Almost half of its bird life, and two-thirds of its mammals and plants are found nowhere else. In all, 1,137 species are found only in the Philippines.

Many of these species are considered "threatened or endangered", including the Tamaraw, a type of wild cattle, the Philippine Tarsier, the Cloud Rat, Golden-Crowned Flying Fox (commonly known as the Fruit Bat), several species of Wild Pig, and the Philippine Spotted Deer.

Other protected creatures include marine life such as Sea Turtles, Dugong, and Whale Sharks.

Underwater, no country has a greater diversity of marine life, and divers are lured from all over the world to this great diving destination.

Whale Sharks are primarily found off Donsol, in Bicol; and Oslob, in the south of Cebu, as well as a few other parts of the country. These gentle giants feed off plankton and krill.

Five types of sea turtle are now found in the Philippines. The leatherback turtle being one of the biggest. Two species of turtle, the Green and Hawksbill, nest on the islands' beaches.

The Philippine Tarsier, shown above, is endemic to the Philippines, and can be found mainly on the islands of Bohol, Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.

The Tarsier is one of the smallest primates, and is nocturnal, living on a diet of insects. Although now protected, the tarsier is still threatened by the destruction of its natural forest habitat, which has caused a big reduction in the Tarsier population.

In the Calamian islands, (Coron), Calauit Island has become a Nature Park, Game Reserve, and Wildlife Sanctuary, and is home to a huge collection of animals that were originally from Kenya, including giraffes, zebras, and gazelles. These animals are now thriving as they share their new home with creatures endemic to the Philippines.

Read more about Philippines Wildlife on our website HERE >>

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Calauit Island - a Little Piece of Africa, in the Philippines!

Calauit Island, Philippines is a little piece of Africa to be found in the South China Sea!

The island lies in north Palawan, and is part of the Calamian group of islands. In 1977, the Philippines responded to an appeal to save endangered African animals, and the Calauit Island Game Preserve and Wildlife Sanctuary was created.

The Sanctuary is a natural area where the animals are allowed to live with minimal disturbance, in order that they are protected for future generations. 

The park covers an area of 3,700 hectares, and is home to both endemic animals and African wildlife. Eight species of animals were initially introduced to Calauit Island from Kenya - namely gazelles, elands, giraffes, bushbacks, topis zebras, impalas, and waterbucks. The animals live alongside other species that are endemic to the Philippines, and the numbers are thriving as they have adapted to their new habitat. 

Calauit island is also a magnet for birdwatchers, with over 70 species of birds, including some that are quite rare.

Philippine Trails guests, visiting the Calamian islands, can incorporate a visit to the Game Preserve as part of their itinerary.

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Read more about Caluit Island, Philippines on our website HERE >>

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Saving the Philippines' Marine Environment...

A click of the mouse is all it takes – never has there been an easier way to save the Philippine marine environment, its creatures, and the food source that comes with it.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) recently launched the “I Click, I Save” which enables people with Internet access – from anywhere in the world – to contribute in protecting the Philippines' marine biodiversity.

WWF-Philippines has marine conservation programs all over the country – from Tawi-Tawi way down south to Hamilo Coast in Batangas and Donsol in Sorsogon.

Read the full article here...