Swimming with sharks

Ever wondered how it felt like to swim with dolfins?! Well I can't tell you. But I can describe the overwhelming, out of this world experience of swimming with whales! Yes, whales! As in whale sharks. Hmm wait, so technically I swam with sharks... Anyhow, the whale shark can grow as long as 12m long and is the largest fish species. Luckily it only likes plankton and microscopic organisms, so there’s not much risk it would accidently swallow you.

Donsol in the Sorsogon province of the Philippines is an eco-miracle. It's unique in the world, as that there's a yearly swarm of whalesharks feeding on plakton in that one particular little bay. During the peak season from February to May, one can get lucky and interact with as many as 10 whale sharks.

It's best to arrange for the tour ahead of time and register at the Donsol Tourism Office for the introduction video, which serves as an interaction briefing a day before, so that you can get on one of the first boats out the following day. Whale sharks are most likely to be spotted in the early morning. After a wakeup call at 5am, a quick breakfast, we got our snorkeling gear together and headed for the beachfront, where our guide and the boatcrew were already waiting for us on an outrigger boat. Out in the sea, the guide explained that once a whale shark, or butanding as they are called here, was sighted, we had to get our gear up quickly and jump into the water at the guide's signal. We all were nervously anticipating the signal and when he shouted "Now!" we hastily put on fins and goggles on and sat on the edge of the boat. "Jump!" and so we did. The boat positions itself so that the whale shark swims toward us and we swim toward it. Once we cross path, we turn around and swim parallel to it.

Through all the commotion and the fins flapping through the water, I could barely distinguish left and right, let alone the position of the whale shark. And then suddenly, out of the murky water, there it was. We all screamed through our scuba!! This huge creature was within an arm’s reach (or so it felt) away from us. It was grey with plenty of white spots and swam calmly in slow motion next to us while we were desperately trying to keep up with it. And then it suddenly dove into the depths of the ocean. We climbed back onto the boat, awestruck, knees shaking, shouting ecstatically “Did you see it? Did you see it?”.

Barely a few minutes past to calm down, did the guide shout “Get ready!”. I hesitated, not sure if I could handle another such intense moment but I convinced myself that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Who knew if the whale sharks would return next year, maybe discouraged by the raising number of tourists disturbing their natural environment. So here we were jumping back into the water, swimming alongside another gentle giant about 7m long. All in all we had 8 interactions with the whale sharks, the last one of which lasted for about 15 minutes. We headed back to shore, pressed for time to catch our plane back to the urban jungle of Manila. Our bodies tired from swimming in open waters, our minds restless from the surreal memories. This privileged encounter with one of Mother Nature's wonder was like an underwater safari, now I just need to save up enough money for a trip to Kenya.

I wonder if D. will consider it for our honeymoon?

Approx. budget per person

Roundtrip airfare: P1,500

On-ground transpo: P500

Accommodation: P1,500

Whale shark tour: P500

Snorkeling gear: P300

Food: P500

Total = P4800

Don’t forget:

- Sunscreens

- Packed food and bottled water

- Snorkeling gear (although you can rent at the resort)

- Underwater camera (no flash!)

Where we stayed:

Woodland Resort, double occupancy rooms with A/C and hot water, P1,500.

Contact Marichu at +639219699544

How to get there:

From Manila to Legazpi via Cebu Pacific (45min flight) and from Legazpi City to Donsol (1.5 hrs ride), several private (approx. P2,000 for 10-12 pax) or shared (approx. P70/pax) vans leave from Satellite terminal in Legazpi. Some tour guides also wait for tourists at the airport.

Follow the rules:

The government and WWF made conscious efforts to develop the responsible eco-tourism in the area and the local fishermen have gone from hunting down the animals to serving as experts and tour guides, promoting the preservation and safety of the whale sharks.

1. Do not touch or ride the whale shark

2. Do not restrict the movement of the shark or impede its natural path

3. Maintain the recommended distance from the whale shark is 3 meters from the head and body and 4 meters from the tail

4. Do not undertake flash photography

5. Do not use scuba, scooters, jet ski or any motorized underwater propulsion

6. A maximum of six (6) swimmers per shark is allowed

Other things to do around the area:

- Visit the Cagsawa Ruins and Mount Mayon in Legazpi

- Take the Firefly Tour

- Go island hopping or diving and have a picnic on a deserted beach

Home is where work is?

I never considered myself being particularly girly, or kikay as they would say in the Tagalog. I shop, but not as a sport. I wear make-up, but only on special occasions. I do get giddy when I fall in love with a particular pair of shoes, but that happens once in a blue moon. I read fashion magazines, but I wouldn't say that I have a particularly strong fashion sense.

But here I am now. Working in the beauty industry. Dealing with the hip and beautiful, haha. Too busy to keep my blog updated (soweee!), I've been coming alive in my position at VMV. I don't think I've really changed in terms of girliness, but I sure have blossomed somehow. Now that the job isn't all new anymore, I relieved to find out that I don't just enjoy it coz it was new and fresh, but because I actually... enjoy it.

If it weren't for this job, my torn-apart between countries feeling would most likely be a lot more prominent than it is. They say "love is where the heart is". I suppose that's true. After all, I did move here to follow the call of my heart. But - and I am sorry to disappoint the romantic ones amongst you - I don't think it is enough. I learned my lesson in life and believe I can only be as good a partner as I am an individual.

So I'm here, working hard, soaking in all the knowledge like a sponge, listening avidly to all that my boss/mentor has to say. I'm building my PR network and trying to leave my mark in this company, all while subconsciously strengthening my roots to the Philippines. The best of it all? I am actually constantly exposed to the world. The beauty industries in the US and in Europe is our constant benchmark, our markets are spread all over and I get to travel the world representing the brand.

The stronger I expose myself to globalization in all its colors - music, culture, food, work etc. - maybe the closer I'll feel to my homes.

Feeling social with social medias

I'm a geek. Always have been, always will be. So when my work demanded some innovative (read budget-friendly) marketing ideas, I was all giddy about exploring social media as a marketing tool in line with the rise of the web. Finally, a valid reason to be logged in Facebook at the office all day long. Hehe. 

But with FB, Twitter, LinkedIn part of my daily routine now, I realized that - aside from being a fascinating marketer's instrument - it helped me keep in touch with the different "homes" I was missing. I was suddenly talking to grade school friends from Munich, college classmates from Quebec and people who at some point in my life crossed my road and are now all over the globe. Of course, I could have simply picked up the phone or send a postcard. But truth be told, aren't we all too busy and too lazy to do so? This was a way of touching base with any efforts.

One may argue the value of social media and its tendency of decreasing actual social interaction (then again it is called social media, hmm), and yet for someone like me, who often feels lost and abandoned, it's a wonderful invention that brings "home" right inside your computer screen. The internet alone is a wonderful invention, that brings you the world whenever and wherever you need it. No more missing out on world news, the newest trend in French fashion or the raved-about bar in Munich. It is a virtual world I admit, but maybe the notion of what is real and what isn't is simply shifting? One thing is for sure, it provides instant gratification for those who's world is divided onto several continents. Do these networking sites replace shopping sprees with your best friend and family dinners? - certainly not. But for a split second - and just a click away - I can be wherever I wanna be and pretend I never left.