in-the-philippines.com » whale sharks http://www.in-the-philippines.com All about Philippines Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:32:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en hourly 1 Butanding of Sorsogon (Whale sharks) http://www.in-the-philippines.com/butanding-of-sorsogon-whale-sharks http://www.in-the-philippines.com/butanding-of-sorsogon-whale-sharks#comments Thu, 21 May 2009 10:18:06 +0000 admin http://www.in-the-philippines.com/?p=194 Donsol, is a small fishing town, 600Km away from Manila located on the southwest coast of Luzon. For a long time this area in Philippines is frequented by Whale Sharks, called “Butanding” in local Filipino dialect. Local fishermen were aware of them but it was like a best kept secret. Some fishermen used to eat their meat. It was only in 1998 that a team of foreign divers publicized their existence.After this, hunters swarmed this area to chase them, luckily the Filipino government stepped in quickly and declared this variety of fish as a protected species.

butanding-mouth4

Butandings, although called as Whales are not mammals like other whales but they are actually fish and belong to group of sharks. However, this type of shark is not a predator like other varieties of sharks and just feeds on the plankton and small fish. Thus, in a sense a giant vegetarian fish. The seawater of Donsol have just the right temperature and are rich in plankton that attracts them. Butanding actually means “Gentle Giant” in the local dialect and this represents their true nature. This is the largest fish in the world and grows up to the length of 60 feet and weight up to 15 metric tons. We have never heard of them hurting humans intentionally although sometimes collisions with fishing boats are common. After declaring it a protected species and after knowing its behavior, the Filipino government was quick to spot the opportunity for “Eco-tourism” in Donsol. Butandings are found in this region from February to June when they migrate looking for the right water temperature and food.

Visiting Donsol: how to go, where to stay, what to do.




]]> http://www.in-the-philippines.com/butanding-of-sorsogon-whale-sharks/feed 1 Best Destinations in the Philippines http://www.in-the-philippines.com/best-destinations-in-the-philippines http://www.in-the-philippines.com/best-destinations-in-the-philippines#comments Tue, 12 May 2009 17:24:21 +0000 admin http://www.in-the-philippines.com/?p=74 If you love adventure, beaches, sun and you have never been to Asia. Philippines is definitely an excellent place to start your travel. It has everything that you could ever want to see on your holidays: an interesting city like Manila, white sand and crystal blue beaches, lovely nature, incredible mountain scenery, good food and very friendly people. And the best part of this, traveling may not have to be expensive.

OUR TOP MUST SEE PLACES

The beautiful Coron

The beautiful Coron

1. Coron, Palawan (Snorkeling & Diving)

A municipality in Palawan famous for its wreck diving and aquatic views. No doubt this place has been listed in Forbes Traveler Magazine’s top 10 best diving sites in the world.

butanding-mouth1

2. Donsol, Sorsogon (Encounter with the Whale Shark)

Donsol is a popular destination for tourists who wanted to see, meet and swim with the Butanding or the whale sharks. In 2004 the Time Magazine featured this place as one of the Best Animal Encounter in Asia.

3. Banaue Rice Terraces

Banaue Rice Terraces are 2000 year old terraces built and carved in the mountains of Ifugao. The terraces are located approximately 1500 meters (5000 ft) above sea level and cover 10,360 square kilometers (about 4000 square miles) of mountainside. They are fed by an ancient irrigation system from the rainforests above the terraces. It is said that if the steps are put end to end it would encircle half the globe.

4. Boracay

Boracay is one of the most popular island in the Philippines located in the northwest tip of the Island of Panay popular for its sugarlike sand and pristine water. The island is consist of three baranggays; Manok Manok , Balabag and Yapac.

5. El Nido, Palawan

El Nido is a municipality in Palawan popular for diving and snorkelling. The island boasts of its towering marble cliffs, beautiful beaches and rich marine life. It is located about 432 kilometers southwest of Manila and about 238 kilometers from Puerto Princesa, the capital of Palawan

6. Ilocos

The Ilocos region is one of the best places to visit in the Philippines if you are in to culture and history.  Vigan in the South and the famous Malacanang of the north in Ilocos Norte are few of these places to mention.  The region of Ilocos is not only rich in history but a beautiful beaches like Pagudpud and delicious cuisine.

]]> http://www.in-the-philippines.com/best-destinations-in-the-philippines/feed 0