This is Jay Server... my good friend and boss who recently had a great time with the world's largest fish in the ocean, the whale sharks.
And that is Jay's "Butanding"... Pinoy's term for the whale sharks. The following are some photos Jay took on what he calls a "fantabulous" Whale Shark experience. Awesome creatures, awesome adventure!
Anyways, this happened in Donsol located in the province of Sorsogon, Philippines. Yes.. Donsol and its' local community thrived after embracing whale shark tourism. I somehow believe, Marina (the local telenovela mermaid was Jay's ex in real life lol but true!!!) had something to do with this though as the number of whale sharks have increased as have local income levels which is just great. Donsol was once a sleepy fishing village and the community once thought of these creatures as "mga salot" or pests.
The community's attitude towards these gentle creatures changed when Dave Duran came in Donsol. According to CNN's write up about him, Dave is a charismatic, passionate cameraman turned diver. Twelve years ago he shot footage of the whale sharks and brought it to international spotlight. His footage caught the attention of the World Wildlife Fund, the marine biologists and scientists. Suddenly Donsol became a major research destination.
Little is known about whale sharks, a major part of preserving the species is understanding their migratory routes and breeding habits. Within three months of Dave going public with his footage the Philippine government issued a ban on fishing whale sharks.
Dave said to CNN, "If we were just late for about a month or so the story would have been different".Maybe now we would be seeing whale sharks being slaughtered here, right on this beach." (As per World Wildlife Fund, whale sharks are coveted in many countries. Their meat can sell for up to $17 per kilo, their fins a staggering $800).
Eco Solutions have covered many great stories in the ongoing battle of preservation vs. destruction. Here the balance shifted in favor of nature. It's just a matter of luck," Dave says. "We gave [the people of Donsol] some sort of hope that eco-tourism could work in Donsol and they believed it."
Thanks to Dave Duran, a great Filipino with a passionate concern for these majestic marine animals, the world-famous Donsol Whale Sharks are now coveted for it's ability to attract tourists and definitely not for its' fins. Dave Duran saved the whale sharks. Mabuhay ka, Dave Duran... salamat!