Oslob whale shark - to do or NOT do it!?

[Centrals]

Sarcasm will get you nowhere, buddy. Science will, though. The fishermen ARE burdened, that's why they get frozen food from different Philippine waters. That's TWO levels of ecosystem being exploited. I already explained this in my first post. On average you have 15 whale sharks per day, with 40-70 different whale sharks sighted over the course of two years.

The math adds up. You should, too.

simple maths!!!!!
40-70 sighting over a period of 2 yrs!!!!!!! Your words, not mine.
Has there been any report of 40-70 individual sighting in one day?

 

[mlsantos]

its the age old arguement of should or should not... All i know is that the philippines has 3 known whaleshark hotspots...

of the 3 i think the purists would like southern leyte the most... if a fisherman sees one he sms's the dive operator who then mounts up their guests to go see it... If he doesnt then a chance encounter on a dive is possible as well...

Donsol... Though controlled by the WWF and rules in place and enforced for years... many people argue that donsol's "way" leaves a large footprint... 30-60 boats all out WSIng... is alot of fuel burning... that plus the READY... DIVE DIVE DIVE system the boats use... could be a little harrowing for those not used to jumping in the water with a mask fins and snorkel...

Oslob... the most controversial of them all... and I think this is the case mostly because of NGO politics happening behind the scenes... maybe one NGO believes it can do a better job than the present one in charge?! who knows...

What was never mentioned in any of the previous posts though... is that as recorded in phil history... the waters of oslob, bohol, around pamilacan balicasag and the surrounding areas... USED TO BE WHALESHARK KILLING FIELDS... (look it up!) Whalesharks were fished in a very primitive gruesome way till they dissappeared from these waters in the 80s and 90s... not just for their fins... but for their meat as well... a fish the size of a bus can feed everyone in a fishing village for weeks... so that part of it is a real concern...

So to do or not to do is your decision...

all i hear is that this is bad that is bad... everything is bad... why dont people try to come up with some sort of viable solution?!... something like... limiting feeding to certain months of the year if migration patterns is a concern... or a new way of feeding if proximity to boats is the concern... just something instead of all this useless arguments of facts everyone has heard before...

It frustrates me because I saw these whalesharks before the crowds... before the circus... and back then the fishermen begged us not to put it on the internet as these animals were like their companions out at sea and they knew of the circus that would follow...

I just wish someone would come up with viable solution acceptable to all stakeholders involved instead of publicizing snippets of different arguments to suit their own agendas... alot of them clamor for cease and desisting operations but they need to get real... truth of the matter is the whole municipality of oslob and the province of cebu have reaped the benefits of all this... And I dont see them just stopping for anything short of multiple dead whalesharks in oslob waters as proof of the negative effects of all this on the animals... im sure a Marine biology teams can come up with some sort of solution that would be an acceptable compromise for everyone and when they do... I pray the people in power will listen to them.

Personally my best whaleshark experience was at Ticao island with numerous whalesharks playing in the strong current... I highly suggest a trip there to see that for yourselves... It was totally unstaged and totally unexpected... thats the beauty of diving now isnt it?!... its not what your told youll see but what surprises you down there thats the diff between a good dive and an amazing one...

 

[Worldwide Dive and Sail]

A great summary from Marco

Here is a link to a more detailed report on the whale shark interactions in Oslob - https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3RZLizykyavYjdDaHZud2Nldlk/edit

 

[ksporry]

I recently read a copy of the big blue book of whale sharks (Asian Diver), and although the feeding ritual in Oslob may be cause for the quantity of whalesharks, and lack of migration, they seemed to suggest that it was more likely the upwelling of plancton and other nutrients in the water.

Personally I don't like the packed with chinese experience, so I probably would pass up on that one (I happen to live in China, so if I'm on Holiday, so are 1.5 billion chinese... Probbably not as bad when you go outside chines eholiday seasons).

As for is feeding bad in a location like Oslob, considering the alternative (which I think everyone agrees is the killing of whale sharks), I think the practise is acceptable. If you happen to have the opportunity, then why not? Personally I wouldn't go there specifically for that reason.

 

[beaverdivers]

Interesting poll & posts. Right now it stands at 11 - 11.

I had this very decision to make a few weeks ago. While on a two week trip on the Philippine Siren, we were passing by Oslob. One of the passengers proposed that we stop and do the whale shark dive. The cruise director explained that it was not on the itinerary, but if everyone voted for it then we could do it. The change would cost us a couple of normal dives and if I remember correctly about $20. If one passenger voted against it, then it was a no go.

We had just been in the most remote & regulated area in the Philippines, Tubbataha. We had already done about 30 or so dives. The Ausie who had instigated the idea was very keen on doing it. Neither he nor his wife had ever seen a whale shark. All 13 passengers voted for the whale shark dive.

The next decision was whether to dive or snorkel. Everyone snorkeled.

Wow! What a contrast from Tubbataha. It reminded me of going to Las Vegas after rafting down the Grand Canyon for 18 days. It was quite the show. There were around 7 outriggers with feeders. Some bigger ones also had watchers that looked on totally amazed at the brave people in the water swimming with the SHARKS.

There were about 25 snorkelers including our 13 plus three crew. There were around 10 divers. It was quite controlled. No touching or abuse.

However, I did almost get run over by a hungry juvenile whale shark. We had around 8 whale sharks coming into feed.

One of the young Philippine crew members got a chance to see his first whale shark. It was a special moment. The Ausie couple cried after the experience. Another Ausie from Perth went back to do it again after the trip. He travelled all the way from Cebu & back in a day just for another hour with the whale sharks.

Everyone was happy that we had made the decision to change the itinerary.

Personally, I am against feeding wild animals. I have spent hours diving & snorkeling with whale sharks in the wild. I would much rather see them in the wild.
However, I am glad I was able to see the show for sake of comparison. It did remind me of a dolphin experience.

At this point it is what it is. If you have a choice go see them in the wild, but if you are at Oslob it is a must do.

 

[gee13]

I also believe one can see the whalesharks at the Okinawa aquarium for a truly remarkable experience..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1026977/The-fish-tank-thats-big-hold-FOUR-whale-sharks.html