Sorsogon

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/whale-shark.html


Sorsogon is at the tip of the Bicol Peninsula and faces the island of Samar to the southeast across the San Bernardino Strait and Ticao Island to the southwest.



Donsol is a popular tourist destination for the whale sharks that can be seen in the bordering seas. Swimming with whale sharks was featured as the Best Animal Encounter in Asia by Time Magazine in 2004. Whale sharks can be seen all-year round except during typhoons, with presence peaking between February and May.



Interaction with the whale sharks is regulated by the local Department of Tourism (DOT) office. WWF guidelines are generally observed to protect the sharks. Rules include limiting the number of swimmers per boat to six, no scuba divers and staying further than three meters from the sharks. In practice many of these rules are broken on a daily basis. As many as 14 boats at a time may 'mob' a shark, with up to 30 or 40 swimmers following the shark on the surface. Most sharks are touched at least once during every interaction, accidentally by brushing with the fins, or deliberately.