Butandings: The Gentle Giants of Donsol, Sorsogon
Finally, I’ve seen the gentle giants (in fact our group has seen 12!!!) of Donsol, Sorsogon – in the flesh ladies and gentlemen. 
Yes, we’ve been to Donsol last Monday (April 30) – a 2-hour drive from where I live (Payawin, Gubat, Sorsogon) but I otherwise wouldn’t have been to if my friends from Sta. Rosa, Laguna and as far as Olongapo City didn’t come.
Anyway, the first thing visitors should do upon arrival is register at the Butanding Interaction Visitors’ Center. Registration is 100 pesos per head.
The boat for butanding interaction costs 3,500 pesos for a maximum of 7 persons (children below 12-years old need not register and is not counted in the 7-person capacity of the boat).
After which, the visitors will be briefed inside an audio-visual room where a video presentation was prepared to inform the public of the safety precautions, dos and donts during butanding interaction.
We really liked the fact that everything is already that organized. (i hate haggling with boatmen for the cost).
And then each group will be assigned a BIO (butanding interaction officer) which will then take your group to a motor boat manned by 4 persons (2 boatmen and 2 butanding spotters).
(The guys assigned to us, led by BIO Jerry Militante, were really very good, very courteous and friendly and even answered all of our silly questions. Salamatonon po!)
Boats are being dispatched starting 730 am to 2 pm. The visitors’ center is open daily, even on Sundays and holidays.
However, for sure sightings of the whalesharks (butandings) it is best to go before 10 am.
Each boat is only allowed three hours at sea for the sighting (and interaction) in order to accomodate more visitors.
We saw 12 (i think 13 even!) butandings in a span of almost 2 hours in the open sea.
We’ve been told to be very lucky because the day before us, Elizabeth Oropesa’s (yes, La Oro herself) group was out there in that same boat where we were on from 11 am -1 pm and saw none. That day, there were 25 boats and only 1 butanding sighted. Imagine, poor butanding!
And then when we went, there were only 10 boats but still we saw 12-13 butandings.
Too bad, nobody in our group was brave enough to snorkel in the water near a butanding (this can be done as well, the BIO will guide you if you are able to do so), for it would have been a mind-blowing experience.
Looking at those gentle giants just beneath the water’s surface was already out-of-this-world amazing…so we skipped snorkelling…hmm…maybe next time!
Suffice to say that it was an experience we were all grateful not to miss. So, you should too.
December – May is the time of year to go, when whalesharks are most abundant in the island with a peak of March to May when they feed on the plankton-rich waters of Donsol.
Be sure not to miss it!
Can you really see that dark gentle and playful giant lurking just beneath the surface? Of course you can’t! That’s why you have to go to see them with your own eyes.
P.S. After the interaction time, your assigned BIO will secure each one who went with an official butanding interaction certificate. How’s that for a souvenir?!
[Photo Credit: Lakbay Pinay]
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- Halea Island Retreat and Nature Park: Monreal, Masbate
- WWF Trip to Masbate
- Sorsogon is Safe to Visitors Despite Bulusan Eruption
- Rizal Beach: Gubat, Sorsogon
- Barcelona Church (St. Joseph’s Church), Barcelona, Sorsogon, Bicol.
- Mt. Bulusan is Spewing Ash Once More
- Official Participants of 2007 Aliwan Festival
- Angono’s Higantes Festival
- October 24 is St. Raphael’s Day
ericd001 » May 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
wow. this one na miss ko rin when i was in bicolandia. ill definitely include this in my sked sa next butanding season.
i was in legazpi and Naga for 3D/2N 2 weeks ago.. i went to CWC wakeboarding facilities.
Gloria Gamat » May 2nd, 2007 at 7:54 pm
u should come next season, i highly recommend it. uyy grabe, balita ko world class daw ang wakeboarding facility na yan ah!
ericd001 » May 2nd, 2007 at 9:24 pm
oo glo.. the ratio of guests there is 1 pinoy is to 2 foreigners!
mura ang wakeboarding dun. 600 for the wholeday. ill try to post it here soon. dami pa ko ginagawa eh
the 2008 World Wakeboarding championsips will be held there. hihihi
lia » May 4th, 2007 at 10:06 am
hi glo,
i was at donsol a day before you went. even saw la oropesa watching the video when we got back from the butanding interaction. you should have asked the BIOman to take photos of the butanding if you didnt go down the boat so you can have souvenir pictures of the butanding. throwaway kodak waterproof camera available at the souvenir shop did the job for us.
after donsol we went to a beautiful island, Halea, an hour’s boat ride from donsol. it has pristine white sands and rich coral reefs, ideal for snorkeling and diving. see http://www.haleaisland.com. it’s owned by a friend; maybe my friend can invite you to visit it too.
after donsol, we went to naga via legaspi. we passed through camalig and bought the best pili sweets at Maravilla’s. the owner went out to assist us and allowed me to use her clean nice bathroom for specials guests pa. we passed thru guinobatan and bought their popular langgonisa (the garlic one is better than the red crispy one). we passed through bato and also got some pancit bato which the owner claims to be the best tasting pancit canton. at naga, we visited the basilica minore, penafrancia church, the cathedral and the camsur watersports complex.
eric, when we were there last may 1, mas madami pinoy.
lia » May 4th, 2007 at 10:09 am
and oh, the firefly river cruise was awesome. the trees full of firelies looked magical! and the boat ride was romantic.
Gloria » May 4th, 2007 at 7:22 pm
lia: grabeh mas dami ka pa napuntahan sakin. wow, sounds heaven yang island owned by ur friend! is it a private place or open to the public?
anyway, we were just soo amazed to see butandings sa surface ng water. he he. thanks for the tip, we will do that next time.
di na kami nagtry ng firefly river cruise. hehe, ibalato na lang daw sa mga taga manila kasi dami naman dito fireflies sa amin. well, am glad you really enjoyed it.
Halea Island Retreat and Nature Park: Monreal, Masbate » Pinoy.Travel.Blog - The Filipino Guide to Philippine Destinations » Blog Archive » May 4th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
[...] my God, if one commenter (thanks Lia!) didn’t mention this place in my previous butanding encounter post, I wouldn’t have found out about this place: Halea Island Retreat and Nature [...]
lia » May 4th, 2007 at 9:45 pm
hi glo,
i told my friend to invite you over to Halea. it is open to the public. they have a private boat that can take you there.
btw, we visited sorsogon city and bacon also. bicol is beautiful and we really enjoyed our trip there. hope we can go back again someday.
Gloria » May 4th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
hello again lia, thank you so much. i really hope to hear from your friend soon.
Jun » May 11th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
Hello Ms. Gloria! I really enjoyed reading your first encounter with the butandings. By the way, I have posted an except of this article on http://bicolanos.ning.com/profiles/blog/show?id=740415%3ABlogPost%3A62
I’m sorry Ning.com’s engine doesn’t seem to have the trackback feature..
caresaa » August 16th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
hello. its fun and enjoyable to see butanding. i hope so i can also see them in person…………….
butanding is the gentle giants..
caressa » August 16th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
its awesome to see butandings……….
uhmmm…. i hope soon that them
can also see it in person but not in pictures……………
butandings are the gentle giants of ocean……….
i want to ride on them.
takz » September 28th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Donsol is indeed the whaleshark capital of the Phil., or even the whole world. I’m a tour guide here in Donsol..
97% of my guests, foreign and local have seen these gentle giants.. also, the firefly watching and the island hopping in the scattered islands of Masbate..
To all who wish to come and visit us…contact via mail or phone..
takz78@yahoo.com… cp…09217435677
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joel BIO » September 22nd, 2009 at 1:54 pm
whaleshark interaction is an experience of a life time. Swimming with the living prehistoric-life creature in world is an overwhelming experience.
As one of the senior Butanding Interaction Officers, i can attest that in my 11 years of experience, swimming with my guests from different nationalities and culture.
That experience can be yours too.
Guests can contact me for donsol butanding tours.
cp 63+919-420-2324
Email superkim18@yahoo.com
takz » October 1st, 2009 at 2:36 pm
I wish to invite tourists from around the world to come and visit our Gentle Giants, the Whaleshark or Butanding in our dialect.
Our Butanding interaction here in Donsol, Sorsogon, Philippines is dubbed as the, “Best Animal Encounter in Asia”. I will make sure that everyone who will come and visit will left with a smile and excitement with their adventure here in the Philippines especially here in our town, Donsol, the home of the Whalesharks.
You can watch some of my videos in the youtube,,just type takz78..
One can contact me via Email, takz78@yahoo.com with a number 63+921-743-5677.
Come and visit our town, VISIT PHILIPPINES, THE PEARL OF THE ORIENT….
Mr. Rosalindo M. Briones Jr.
Mngr. Owner.
Donsol Aqua Tours and Services
Albert » November 17th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I was born in Cavite but my parents came from Donsol. My first step in my parents motherland was when I was 11yrs. old. I stayed there for a years until a “BIG” creature appeared, the Butanding. The irony is, even I stayed there for a years, I never had the chance to see that creature. I want to if I will be given a chance. Is there anyone could help me? hehe
Albert » November 17th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
I was born in Cavite but my parents came from Donsol. My first step in my parents motherland was when I’m 11yrs. old. I stayed there for a years until a “BIG” creature appeared, the Butanding. The irony is, even I stayed there for a years, I never had the chance to see that creature. I want to if I will be given a chance. Is there anyone could help me? hehe
takz » November 24th, 2009 at 1:59 pm
albert,
sino mga parents mo?
ano family name nila?
ako tagarito all my life.. lucky that we have this butanding..
During my childhood I and my father is fishing, I have already seen the giants only that we did not know that it will be famous at it is now. My papa told me that even his childhood this Butanding has been roaming our seas..
Mai me takz78@yahoo.com 63+921-743-5677
for more info.. sightings ok na.. lalo na pag march and april