Donsol, Sorsogon | Philippines

Donsol is a popular tourist destination for whale shark viewing which can be seen in its 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 between November and June, with presence peaking between February and May.

The presence of whale Sharks in the town of Donsol was known to the local residents over 100 years. But the locals believed these gentle giants were dangerous. This wrong notion changed when in December 26, 1997, a group of scuba divers led by Romir Aglugub – a PADI diving instructor, discovered its presence, and interacted and came in contact with the Whale Sharks. Even the members of the diving group of Romir was having second thought if the fish is docile, until the instructor led the way into the water and came in contact with the whale shark. Copy of video footage taken by the group was passed on to the media and the WWF-Philippines. The original amateur video is on file by the Instructor as proof of the first video recording of the Discovery. By March 1998, Donsol became world-class tourist destination and now known as the “Whale Shark Capital of the World”. There are plenty of whale shark tours available and a real treat is to combine it with a scuba dive whale shark trip. Imagine being underwater with these huge magestic creatures.

Tourism continues to develop piecemeal in Donsol. The first hotel established in the area is the Amor Farm Beach Resort in 1997 followed by the Woodland Beach Resort in 1998 which started off as a family vacation house. Interest to visit the quaint and quiet town grew as soon as news of whale shark sightings grew amongst the international marine biologist community. Tourists can now avail of rooms that cater to all financial budgets, from the backpacker to the family vacationer from various resorts and homestays in Donsol.

Most establishments accept only cash and the nearest bank or ATM is an hour away in Legaspi. Giddy's Place PADI Dive Resort is the only resort that accepts credit card payments to date. It is also the only resort open all year round as the others are only open during whaleshark season (December to May). Landlines are non existent in Donsol and most rely on mobile phones. Internet service just came to Donsol in 2008 using cellular technology. There are a few internet shops in town.