(Read the title with ecstatic joy.)
Whale sharks do come to stay in the Gulf of Davao: I’d seen several videos of sightings from as early as 2009 (c/o Carabao Dive Center and Maxima Beach Resort). And today — at long last! — I got to see one for myself.
It was a juvenile, because he was only about 5 or 6 meters long. Still, he was enormous!
We had just finished our lunch and were about to heave off from Limao Reef for the next dive site, when the boat captain of Datu Budas, “Intoy” dela Serna, suddenly came rushing from the back pointing to the water. The whale shark was swimming alongside the boat!
Gearing up in a flash, heart beating wildly, I jumped in and faced the largest fish in the world. A shark, no doubt, but one of the most gentle giants underwater. When I was fumbling with the camera, he was regarding me from just a few meters away. I wanted to shout for pure joy, but he took my breath away.
It was ecstasy watching the shark circle underneath our boat, maneuvering gracefully, and seemingly mindful of where my companions and I were. He seemed curious of us, as juvenile animals are wont to be, and allowed us to swim with him for a few blissful minutes.
Moments like this remind me of just how small we are in the global scheme of things, yet how heavy our responsibility is as stewards of the earth.
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- My 1st whale shark
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- Shot from the boat
That is a clear and well shot Video – well done
Itching to get there now ha ha
Thanks, Scott! I’m going back tomorrow. I’ve been wanting to help document these lovely giants here in Davao Gulf. Don’t know if any group’s doing it already, but I’ll make my data / observations available to anyone who’s concerned about protecting whale sharks.
Ha ha – Ok make me more envious – have fun
Scott
nice one blogie…..a breathtaking moment indeed…:)
Thanks, Maie! :)
kuyaw! one incredible underwater encounter that would not be forgotten, indeed! congrats, el presidente!
You’ll always remember your first time, ‘ika nga! :D
Thanks, Atty. Chuck!
AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing Sir!
Would you know if the recorded sightings in Davao have a pattern? For example, do they coincide with the peak months of the whale shark sightings in Donsol?
Hi Carlo. As far as I know, there’s no known pattern yet. But that will be done, for sure. And once that happens, you can be sure I’ll write about it here.
Wow This is recent! Are the whale sharks still there now? Wow!!! This is super!!! I will share this with my children! Where were you?
Hi Alex. The most recent sighting I’ve been told about was two weeks ago, same area. When we spotted one, we were very near Paradise Island Beach Resort.
waaaa nice. Nainggit ako!! hahaha
Try mo dive when you get back, Wins! :)