Donsol - Whale Shark Capital of the World

Are you familiar with the animal that scares people when swimming in the sea when in fact it only eats planktons and seaweeds?

The answer is whale shark; it is not scary as it may sound. They just feed on microorganisms like planktons, algae, protozoan and seaweed, considered as a gentle creature of the sea.

One good news about them is that the smallest living whale shark was found in the Philippines, particularly in Donsol (a first class municipality of Sorsogon). It was recorded in Donsol Municipal Tourism Office. A size of 15 feet, this whale shark is considered as the smallest of its kind. On the record, the largest whale shark ever recorded was in Baba Island, Pakistan measuring 12.56 meters and weighing 21.5 tons.

WWF-Philippines Vice President Jose Maria Lorenzo said that the team freed the shark from the rope that was tied around its tail, documented, measured, and transferred it to a big plastic bag to allow it to swim freely. Less than three hours later it was released to the sea.

(In 2004, Time Magazine declared swimming with whale sharks in Donsol as the “Best Animal Encounter in Asia” and today Donsol is the “Whale Shark Capital of the World” and a world class tourist destination). Source: Enriched Magazine.