Swimming with the Whale Sharks
Trip Start
Mar 26, 2008
1
44
50
Trip End
Mar 26, 2009
Donsol,
Luzon,
Philippines
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Our accommodation Amor Farm Beach Resort was a little piece of heaven. We had a cute little bungalow with a front veranda where we ate each morning, and a small beach meters away with stunning sunsets every evening.
Fran had been nervous about swimming with these gentle giants ever since I had told her and understandable as she can't swim, has a fear of deep water and we had to jump off a boat and chase these things quite far off shore
Firefly watching
! We found others to share a boat with and hire a crew and guide we watched the safety video and off we went. Whale sharks or Buntanding as they call them can grow up to 18 meters and have a mouth big enough to swallow me but all they eat is tiny plankton We set off early ! ...and Frans nerves were growing hehe. We told the guide she couldn't swim he gave her a life vest and said he would look after her. We waited and after 30 mins the spotter spotted one, they lined the boat up and our guide said jump, go now ! I held Frans hand and we went for it.. snorkel and mask on I held her hand and we jumped, they shout swim fast and chase it... I was swimming with one hand Fran was going for it, we tried but missed it. After the first jump Fran eased up and enjoyed it..now we have to move much faster.
Our guide called Abbey was great. He said right Fran you come with me next time. Again the spotter shouted, Abbey shouted get ready !.. GO !.. in a flash he was gone and so was Fran, Bloody hell I hope she's OK... I follow as quick as I can, I catch up stick my head in the water and see a beautiful baby 4 meter silver - grey whale shark swimming, I look up and Fran is smiling and shouting I saw it, I saw it, she is loving it now. It was great how she went for it, faced her fears, I was proud of her
fran is nervous
. The next one was much bigger, 9 meters, again The guide took Fran and she was gone being dragged along really fast, he shouted to her look down now, she stuck her face in the water only to find they were 1 meter right above it !.. My fins came off damn it! By the time I caught up I missed it then felt it hit my leg as it went past! Fran was so excited now screaming "I was this close ! did you see it ?" After a few hours we had seen 5 and all been so close to these amazing animals. One swam straight past me and I just watched its huge body and mouth gracefully go by within touching distance almost.
It was an amazing day, in the evening after the sunset we got in a small boat and went firefly watching. This is so hypnotic, like thousands of tiny flickering light bulbs. It was so peaceful and romantic a great way to end the day. Donsol was one of my highlights of my whole travels.. time to move on again.
