It was on the 9th of December 2008, my friends and I woke up early. We are scheduled to go to Donsol, Sorsogon to hunt for Butanding and to do wake boarding thereafter. It was our third day in Tabaco, Albay and we were fully booked for the day’s adventures.
We were fetched from the hotel at around 6:30 in the morning. We had our breakfast on the way to Legazpi. After eating, we’re off the road to Donsol, Sorsogon. We were all excited to reach the shore of Donsol to hunt for Butanding. After an hour drive, we reached Donsol and proceeded to the Donsol Butanding Interaction Center which is a branch of the Department of Tourism in charged with the preservation of Butanding.
At the Tourism Office, we were required to register and attend a brief orientation session prior to heading out to see the Whale Sharks. Likewise, we were required to pay the fee for: Boat Rental and Crew, Registration, and snorkeling equipment rental. The maximum number of registrants per boat is 7 people.
After a brief orientation period on the rules and guidelines, we are ready to head out to the open sea. Our group will be accompanied by a BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) who will serve as our guide while we're out in the water, one Spotter, on the look-out for the Butanding, and two crew members to man the boat.
Our hearts are filled with excitement and anticipation when we boarded the boat. As we sailed away from the shore and into the open sea, we were praying that these gentle giants would finally show up. We were told by the BOI that they can not guarantee that we will see Butanding as of this time because the Butanding season has not yet begun although there were reported sightings of the sea creature already as early as November. We reached the open sea where the Butanding usually feed itself with planktons. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the gigantic sea creature anywhere.
We have been at sea for an hour. Expectations run high. We kept afloat for almost two hours. At last! The boat captain shouted to prepare to jump into the water. There was a Butanding spotted in the school of fish near our boat. Though slightly distorted by the motion of the bay’s waves, a massive yet graceful form draws near our suddenly tiny craft. Cheers abound as mask and fins are donned. In a few moments, our team will be swimming with the greatest fish of them all.
“Jump!” shouts the BOI accompanying us. We obliged and dived in. Moments later we were greeted by an unusually marked juvenile; perhaps it exceeds the length of our typical passenger bus and weighs more than six adult elephants.
I landed on the tail of the Butanding. One of us, landed on its face and another on its broad trunk. I was about a foot above the tail of the Butanding. I can feel the slimy water passing through my legs and feet. The rule that is, to maintain at least 3 meters distance from the head and body of the whale shark and 4 meters from the tail section was not followed because we directly landed on top of it when we jumped into the water. After what seems like minutes (in reality, mere seconds) the shark takes a nose dive and disappears, leaving us breathless in its wake.
I was panic-stricken which made me swallow at least a glass of salt water. The snorkeling equipment that I was wearing does not fit me right. It added to the discomfort that I felt when I jumped into the water. The diver held me and carried me near the boat.
Before we even climb aboard, another is sighted, then another. Each interaction is totally unique, an adventure in itself. We came back to the boat triumphant and exhilarated. After just two hours, our team clocks in three whale sharks and three interactions. So by 4pm, we were ready to head back to land. We officially opened the 2009 Butanding Season!
We were fetched from the hotel at around 6:30 in the morning. We had our breakfast on the way to Legazpi. After eating, we’re off the road to Donsol, Sorsogon. We were all excited to reach the shore of Donsol to hunt for Butanding. After an hour drive, we reached Donsol and proceeded to the Donsol Butanding Interaction Center which is a branch of the Department of Tourism in charged with the preservation of Butanding.
At the Tourism Office, we were required to register and attend a brief orientation session prior to heading out to see the Whale Sharks. Likewise, we were required to pay the fee for: Boat Rental and Crew, Registration, and snorkeling equipment rental. The maximum number of registrants per boat is 7 people.
After a brief orientation period on the rules and guidelines, we are ready to head out to the open sea. Our group will be accompanied by a BIO (Butanding Interaction Officer) who will serve as our guide while we're out in the water, one Spotter, on the look-out for the Butanding, and two crew members to man the boat.
Our hearts are filled with excitement and anticipation when we boarded the boat. As we sailed away from the shore and into the open sea, we were praying that these gentle giants would finally show up. We were told by the BOI that they can not guarantee that we will see Butanding as of this time because the Butanding season has not yet begun although there were reported sightings of the sea creature already as early as November. We reached the open sea where the Butanding usually feed itself with planktons. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the gigantic sea creature anywhere.
We have been at sea for an hour. Expectations run high. We kept afloat for almost two hours. At last! The boat captain shouted to prepare to jump into the water. There was a Butanding spotted in the school of fish near our boat. Though slightly distorted by the motion of the bay’s waves, a massive yet graceful form draws near our suddenly tiny craft. Cheers abound as mask and fins are donned. In a few moments, our team will be swimming with the greatest fish of them all.
“Jump!” shouts the BOI accompanying us. We obliged and dived in. Moments later we were greeted by an unusually marked juvenile; perhaps it exceeds the length of our typical passenger bus and weighs more than six adult elephants.
I landed on the tail of the Butanding. One of us, landed on its face and another on its broad trunk. I was about a foot above the tail of the Butanding. I can feel the slimy water passing through my legs and feet. The rule that is, to maintain at least 3 meters distance from the head and body of the whale shark and 4 meters from the tail section was not followed because we directly landed on top of it when we jumped into the water. After what seems like minutes (in reality, mere seconds) the shark takes a nose dive and disappears, leaving us breathless in its wake.
I was panic-stricken which made me swallow at least a glass of salt water. The snorkeling equipment that I was wearing does not fit me right. It added to the discomfort that I felt when I jumped into the water. The diver held me and carried me near the boat.
Before we even climb aboard, another is sighted, then another. Each interaction is totally unique, an adventure in itself. We came back to the boat triumphant and exhilarated. After just two hours, our team clocks in three whale sharks and three interactions. So by 4pm, we were ready to head back to land. We officially opened the 2009 Butanding Season!
View my Guestbook
Free Guestbooks by Bravenet.com
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment