I had unknowingly contributed to the exploitation of whale sharks.
My lifelong dream of swimming with whale sharks brought me to the waters of Tan-awan in Oslob (Cebu, Philippines).
It was here that my love for them grew exponentially. It was also here that I had contributed to the lucrative ‘ecotourism’ that’s scarring the wellbeing of these gentle giants. A fresh cut measuring 1 foot across the face as well as clipped dorsal and caudal fins prove that boat propeller accidents are inevitable.
In Oslob, ex-fishermen paddle enthusiastic tourists out on boats each day and lure the whale sharks by hand-feeding them ‘uyap’ (sergestidae shrimps). Conditioned by this practice, the sharks begin to pursue boats for food, including motorised ones beyond Oslob’s designated motor-free zone.
Serious injuries are not the only detrimental result of this enterprise. Safety rules including ‘no touching’ were not reinforced. And despite my best effort at keeping distance, a few sharks swam right at me. Their huge pectoral and caudal fins hit my shin.
With feeder boats parked too close to one another, I also found myself trapped between passing sharks alternating between the boats for food. And this was on a regular day with about 30 visitors. Imagine what it must have been like on good Friday 2012 with a staggering 1,642 people.
These wild animals suddenly find themselves harassed in stressful human-infested waters that are anything but natural.
Another issue largely debated – is the provisioning altering their migratory behaviour?
While the amount of feed is well below their diet requirement, findings show that one particular shark (bender, p-396 on whaleshark.org) has been seen for an astounding 286 days in the interaction area (between 31 march 2012 and 18 January 2013). Another 13 sharks (14%) have stayed for more than 100 days and 41 sharks (43%) for more than 10 days – a stark contrast with the average of five-day presence in Donsol, a no-dive snorkel-only natural encounter site that does not endorse provisioning.
While researchers dedicate their lives in ensuring the safety of these sharks at Oslob, no amount of current data or report has managed to persuade town officials to call it quits.
The provisioning has also taken its toll on the uyap. This whale shark feed and traditional fishing bait is depleted, island wide.
Fishermen in neighbouring towns who do not get to partake in whale shark watching profits are now also robbed of their fishing baits. Uyap has since been substituted with ‘uyabang’, a larger shrimp variant, which will most likely face the same fate. What will they feed next?
The image of a ‘butanding’ on the reverse of the newly designed 100 peso bill sums it all. I still remember the day I vowed to swim with these gentle giants. It was in Osaka’s Kaiyukan aquarium where I watched a whale shark circle endlessly in a 9m deep tank.
In the wild, they submerge to 80m below sea level and migrate up to 34km a day. It’s no wonder they live less than 2 years in captivity – compared to 70 years in the ocean.
Whale sharks have been around for 60 million years. Humans, 7 million. They deserve better.
To minimise human impact, choose natural encounters. You can swim with them at Donsol and Honda Bay in Philippines, Isla Mujeres and Holbox in Mexico, gladden spit in Belize, Cabo San Sebastian in Mozambique and Utila in Honduras. To volunteer in whale shark conservation at Oslob, visit www.lamave.com