PINTUYAN, SOUTHERN LEYTE – “Catch your breath and just stay here – the giant Sharks will come to us,” grins local guide Carlito Mosot.
I’m treading in open water with Renzo Maano, a young environmental filmmaker and one of my environmental protégés. We’d just spent five breathless minutes swimming alongside a juvenile Whale Shark. It dove too deep for us to film clearly, but Carlito assures us that out here, we’re constantly surrounded by Sharks.
“We call Whale Sharks Tiki-Tiki,” says the 60-year-old guide, who still swims like a varsity athlete. “They visit Sogod Bay – specifically the municipality of Pintuyan in Southern Leyte – from October to May. If you stay a few days, sightings and interactions are practically guaranteed.”
Carlito’s here not just to lead us to our quarry. By ensuring we stay at least three meters away from the Sharks (five meters from their ponderously-swaying tails) – he assures both human safety and wildlife protection.
MEET THE WORLD’S LARGEST FISH
Pinoys are intimately familiar with Whale Sharks (Rhincodon typus) – not because they’re found in local markets like Tilapia or Bangus, but because they adorn the back of the one-hundred-peso bill.
Today, they symbolize the wealth and splendor of Philippine seas.
Though definitely large enough, Whale Sharks aren’t Whales. They’re the world’s biggest Fish, growing longer than a passenger bus and weighing more than six adult Elephants. Alongside Basking and Megamouth Sharks, they’re one of only three known filter-feeding Shark species.
Armed with massive, five-foot-wide mouths, they scoop up over two tons of Plankton and Krill daily, acting as living filters to constantly improve oceanic water quality.
DWINDLING NUMBERS
Owing to hunting, ship collisions, bycatch, and pollution, their global population has declined by an estimated 90%, earning them an Endangered classification from the IUCN.
Nationally, they’re protected under Philippine Republic Act 10654 and listed under Appendix I of CITES.
As a result, these harmless giants have transitioned from mere wildlife to money magnets, generating millions of pesos through ecotourism. Donsol in Southern Luzon remains the country’s traditional hotbed for Whale Shark encounters. Meanwhile, Oslob in Southern Cebu rakes in massive crowds through a controversial feeding practice that alters natural Shark behavior.
Pintuyan in Southern Leyte is the newcomer, working quietly to establish itself as an ethical Whale Shark destination. Progress has been slow – but visitors have not been disappointed.
GOING FIN-TO-FIN ETHICALLY
Whale Sharks are known across the country as Butanding, Balilan, Kaytan Tokke, Balyiran, and a host of other names, precisely because they’re found almost everywhere.
In 2009, I even covered a story about a Whale Shark floating in Manila Bay. Yet local attitudes have shifted dramatically over the generations.
“In the old days, our fishers drove off or even killed Tiki-Tiki because they scared away smaller Fishes and plowed through our nets,” recalls Ricarte Estrella, Mayor of Pintuyan. “In 2006, we saw how Donsol was leading the way in terms of sustainable ecotourism. We wanted to emulate their adventure-based system, which provides ‘wild encounters’ that aren’t dependent on Shark feeding.”
After two decades of work, Pintuyan’s community-led model is gaining traction. “We’re still a long way from the commercial scale of Oslob or Donsol,” Mayor Estrella admits. “But we’re content to take things slow and give our visitors a simpler but more ethical experience.”
MORE THAN JUST MONEY MATTERS
The financial contrast between the three regions highlights differing approaches: Oslob in Southern Cebu attracts roughly 500,000 visitors and generates PHP 300 million annually.
Environmentalists heavily criticize its assembly-line system, which feeds the Sharks Uyap or Sergestid Shrimp to encourage them to stay in shallow waters year-round.
“It’s all very efficient and feels almost like a factory conveyor belt for on-the-go tourists,” says Renzo, who visited Oslob for an upcoming documentary.
“Feeding Whale Sharks in the wild might make them more vulnerable to risks. Over time, Whale Sharks may associate food with boats, resulting in possible injuries from accidental boat strikes,” explains Jean Utzurrum, a marine biologist and member of the IUCN’s global Shark Specialist Group.
Donsol in Sorsogon attracts nearly 30,000 visitors and generates roughly PHP 30 million annually. Supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature, Donsol pioneered sustainable Shark tourism in the country and it was here that I spent the most time not just with Sharks, but fisherfolk, local guides, divers, and scientists as well.
Pintuyan in Southern Leyte annually welcomes less than 5000 visitors – mostly European divers – to earn under PHP 3 million annually. “But this is something we hope to build on,
PINTUYAN: PUT IT ON THE MAP
“Go on, jump in! Two of them are on your right side!” gestures nearby boat operators, enthusiastically spotting for us.
Carlito’s earlier prediction is spot-on. The gentle giants of Pintuyan are everywhere.
Unlike Oslob where the water carries the lingering scent of dead Shrimp, or Donsol where thick plankton blooms limit visibility to a dozen feet, Pintuyan offers clear blue water, good for filming and good for photography.
Pintuyan’s vaunted Tiki-Tiki show no fear, approaching us with a curious mix of curiosity and indifference.
At around five meters apiece, they’re smaller than the Butanding of Donsol, with some exceeding 10 meters in length. Some also exhibit scars and cuts, evidence of accidental contact with boat propellers – but on the whole, they seem happy, healthy, and most of all, wild.
For 30 magical minutes, we swim alongside Tiki-Tiki, most of whom swim near the surface to gorge on Plankton. The jolly gray giants are accompanied by sleek Remoras and pulsating schools of Fusilier and Mackerel, all darting through the water to feed on microscopic plankton – a phenomenon that makes Fish Geeks like me do a little extra rejoicing.
AN APPROACH WORTH ACKNOWLEDGING
With other matters and more shoots to attend to, we reluctantly haul ourselves back to our respective bangkas and head for shore. Even our teammates who didn’t jump in clocked in their close encounters, since the Sharks passed right alongside their boats, dorsal and tail fins glistening above the water.
Pintuyan’s commitment to wild, unfed encounters definitely deserves international recognition.
“This place has so much to offer, from rugged mountains to vibrant coral reefs,” shares Boboi Costas, my friend and an ecotourism guru who has been quietly helping communities nationwide discover and market the beauty of their hometowns. “My hope is to see it flourish as a premier marine destination where local communities, the government, and the private sector work hand-in-hand to benefit both the people and the environment.”
SHARK-WORTHY STANDARDS
If Pintuyan can balance growth with its strict ethical standards, then it too might be recognized alongside its more famous neighbors.
Not just Donsol in the Philippines, but Ningaloo Reef in Australia, Isla Mujeres in Mexico, and Mafia Island in Tanzania – a living, swimming testament to how sustainable Shark tourism should be done.
