The first “expedition” is total chaos, with everybody moving to the front of the boat to take a better look at the moving creature on the water – so huge, fearsome and mysterious.
The distinctive fins silhouetted on the horizon make everybody jittery, but in a few minutes, we were treated to a rare marquee performance, caught on videotape, of the biggest fishes of the world – the whale sharks of Southern
Leyte!
We first saw them during the summer of 1993 while establishing the fish sanctuary in Tabugon, Liloan, Southern Leyte. The large dorsal fins jutting out the water’s surface make tingling sensations on our spine. We were novice divers then.
Long before the whalesharks in Donsol, Sorsogon made international headlines, the whalesharks of Southern Leyte had long been ordinary fare for small fishermen in Tabugon, Tagbak and Amaga in Liloan. People have gotten used to them that young boys ride on their backs as they scour for planktons along the village shores.
Now more than a thousand dives or so later, we are more than ready to dive and “shoot” Rhyncodon typus, popularly known locally as “Iho-tiki”. They are back as they normally do every year. But we have noticed that they are increasing in numbers and sizes – some as large as L300 Mitsubishi vans and may reach 40 feet or more.
On this particular dive, we are unsure if they will appear at all because it is raining. No sun, no whaleshark, it seems that way. We hold out our patience and repaired to nearby Puy-ao Islet in Tagbak for some brewed native coffee.
After a few cups to awaken our dampened spirits, the skies clear up. We immediately rev up the engine and cruise directly to the sanctuary. We commissioned two outrigger canoes manned by young schoolboys. They are as excited as we are upon seeing the black spotted dorsal fins of our quarry.
Almost immediately after reaching the vicinity, they start circling around us. We lost count how many are within our midst. Maybe five, eight or perhaps more. In quick successions, they make their presence felt, surfacing from our left or right side.
We got confused where to look first. The boys giggle with delight. We do not normally use scuba equipment to swim with these gentle giants. Touching them or splashing on the surface could disturb them and drive them away. But on this particular dive, we wanted to get as much footage as we can underwater, so we donned our scuba gears as we soon will experience the dive of a lifetime.
As we descended, one by one, these huge fishes make a pass right before us. We can clearly make out large school of remoras, paying lip service to their mobile master.
Our videoman has his hands full covering this first-rate wildlife show. My dive companions seem to be shouting with joy. We knelt on the sand and waited. But it did not take long, as we were treated to an “air show of B52’s”
As we looked up, they continue to swirl swiftly around us in amazing grace. So amazing that we forgot how long we had been underwater.
It is basically a very shallow dive, but what makes it so special is that Southern Leyte, besides Donsol, is the only other area in the Philippines where whalesharks congregate in big numbers. The whalesharks in Southern Leyte are simply at home in Sogod Bay.
Dag, our dive companion, signals that more is forthcoming. They showed no sign of letting up. We immediately spotted a thirty-footer on our left and decided to go near. What followed will remain one of the most memorable moments in that dive.
As we near the shark, a two-meter manta ray suddenly appears and steals the show. Right before our very eyes, it makes a continuous reverse somersault, feeding on the planktons that whalesharks also feed upon. Now, to see a living manta in its element is simply awesome, and pacified our fears of their ultimate
demise.
We very well know that mantas, locally known as “sanga” or “pantihan”, are currently being “massacred” along Surigao Strait for their meat, which are them exported. Currently, the slaughter of whalesharks and mantas are deemed illegal and punishable under a Fisheries Administrative Order.
We are nearing the end of our dive. As we start our ascent, the whalesharks made one last pass before us and swam towards the depths of Sogod Bay.
Whaleshark Watch Advisory:
There is no 100% guarantee to spot a whaleshark in Sogod Bay. It takes proper timing, good weather, and a huge amount of luck to see one. Patience is the name of the game. The best time to see whalesharks in Southern Leyte is April and May.
Beside Liloan, recent sightings confirm that whalesharks actually are all over Sogod Bay. They were spotted in Napantaw Fish Sanctuary in San Francisco, as well as in Limasawa, Malitbog, Libagon, Sogod, Pintuyan ( Son-ok Fish Sanctuary) and even as far as San Ricardo.
More recently, local laws were passed to regulate whaleshark watching activities.
About the Author:
Mr. Rio Cahambing recently resigned from the government to pursue a small private enterprise. He was the former OIC- Tourism Operation Officer for Southern Leyte. During his 12 years in government service, he has surveyed most of the province’s reef areas, and established more the 16 fish sanctuaries, most of them in Sogod Bay.
In his spare time, he writes about interesting places and diving in Southern Leyte to help promote the province as an ecotour destination.
For more information about whalesharks and diving in Southern Leyte, email the author diverio_2000@yahoo.com
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