Donsol – Whale Shark - Whale Shark Watching Center – Dancalan – Sorsogon
Snorkeling with the whale sharks in Donsol is an amazing experience. The best viewing months are Feb and March, when the whale sharks mill about in Donsol bay feeding on plankton and resting up before heading out on their yearly migration. When the typhoon season starts in May, the waters become so full of debris that the whale sharks can’t feed.
Whalesharks in Donsol – youtube video
Meg and I just got back from two great days with 23 encounters, and we saw a number of others skimming the surface.
My pictures are poor, so I will spare you the agony and just put up some information about how to get there and what to expect.
Many visitors fly from Manila to Legaspi and take a van to Donsol.
If you are taking a bus, get off at the town of Putiao (on the National Highway between Sorsogon and Legaspi). Then take a jeepney to Donsol where it will let you off in town.
There are several lodging houses in Donsol, but if you want to stay on the beach near the Visitors center, take a tricycle. Amor, Vitton, and Woodland Resorts are a few to choose from. In Donsol proper – the Hernandez and Santiago Guesthouses are the most popular places to stay for backpackers and budget travelers.
Snorkeling with the whale sharks of Donsol
You can also arrive from Cebu by boat. Take the ferry to Masbate and then catch a pump boat to Pilar (near Donsol). From there take a jeepney the rest of the way.
It is no problem to just show up at the tourist center around 7:30 to 8:00 am and get a boat organized. The center does it all for you. The 300 peso park fee is valid for a week.
A 3,500 boat fee is split 7 ways between the snorkelers and paid in advance. If you didn’t bring a mask and snorkel, they are available for rent for 300 pesos. Masks and snorkels can also be purchased at the Pacific mall in Legaspi.
After the group watches a video, they get on the boat and get a quick briefing from the BIO or Butanding Interaction Officer. He works with the spotters to get you your fish and they are pretty good at what they do. The boatman will glide a ways ahead of the shark and all the snorkelers splash in and try to swim in a direction where they will intersect the path of the fish. Try to follow what the guide is doing rather than look for yourself or you might miss seeing them.
Sometimes the whalesharks will sound, or slowly sink from the surface, but at other times you might get to swim alongside for 10 minutes or more. The flash should be turned off on your camera. At times the whalesharks offer good opportunities for pictures and at other times the water is so murkey that pictures don’t do too well. If the sharks are running deep, almost all the pictures will be cloudy. The pictures by some photographers are great. So far most of mine are pretty bad, but it’s still a rush to see and swim with these sharks!
Most boats stay out for 3 hours or so and the boys really make a serious effort to find you some sharks. Heavy rain and wind and cloudy days usually are bad for shark watching.
Day trips to nearby Mt. Mayon can be done on days that you are not whale watching
Cagsawa ruins near Mt Mayon – youtube video
Whale shark watching
New discovery – 15 inch whaleshark in Donsol
Saw this and thought should share due to DP’s recent trip…
http://www.wwf.org.ph/newsfacts.php?pg=det&id=144#
Mat
Donsol Whale Shark Center
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Mount Mayon
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
Hi,
Do you know how can I get in touch with the people from the center?
cheers,
clara
Hi clara,
It is very easy. In the morning just walk in and register to get on the next boat. It is the cheapest and easiest way.
300 pesos – park registration
500 pesos – boat fee
300 pesos – optional snorkel and mask rental
There are travel agencies that can take you there but everyone goes through the tourist center so you will be paying more than necessary.
They do everything on a first come first served basis. If the weather is bad, less tourists show up but they will always have boats available for you except in extreme conditions. After storms there will be no whale sharks feeding because the bay will be full of floating debris coming down from the river.
Hi dutchpickle,
Sorry that I should have told you the reason for getting in touch people in the tourist center. I am trying to interview people who work there for my research.
Any idea?
thanks,
clara
Hi clara,
I don’t think anyone at the center is involved with research of the whalesharks.
Their primary function is to organize the boatloads of tourists and collect the money and rent out snorkles.
Have a great trip!
dp
Hi dutchpickle,
Alright and thanks!
I guess I will just approach anyone and try to establish some contacts when I arrive.
cheers,
clara
Hi Dutchpickle,
I see you have a lot of info on Donsol and that is fabulous and really helpful.
Want your advice as I am thinking of heading to Donsol in May, which is nearing the end of whaleshark season. How is the situation like during this time, rainy and poor visibility, and not so many whalesharks? I know peak is in Feb-Apr.
So not sure whether this would make any difference, my plan is to climb Mayon on 2-3 Mar then transfer to Donsol and start diving on 5 May onwards. I suppose just a couple days wont make much difference, or should I do Donsol then climb later instead?
Hope you can let me know what you think. Not sure how is the weather situation around May 5-8.
cheers.
Angie
Hi Angie!
Sorry my late reply – I am in the middle of moving from Samar to Leyte and then I got sidetracked for a few days, looking for whale sharks in Sogod Bay in southern Leyte.
May is getting late in the season because of the rains but I think that you will be sucessful if you hang around for a few days.
Here is a link to a page about May 2008, when we stayed in Donsol for 8 days.
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/bicol/may-whale-shark-update.html
have a great trip!
dp
hey dutchpickle,
will be landing in Manila January 7 2010, what are my odds of seeing whale sharks around Donsol if I get there around mid-January? I know it may be a bit early but are they around?
thank you for any info you may have,
Christian
Hi Christian,
Good timing for whaleshark spotting.
Try to spend 3 days in Donsol if you can – that way you are not under too much pressure if the weather is bad or whatever for a day.
The Cagsawa ruins, where a village was wiped out by lava from an eruption on Mt Mayon, is an interesting nearby attraction if you want a diversion from the whale shark watching.
Have fun!
dp
Hi Dutchpickle
What do you think is the likelihood of seeing the whales around 17th – 20th of December.. we will be in legaspi around this time and wondering whether we should look into swimming with the whalesharks..
Hello agie,
I have seen 3 whalesharks one day in November but was skunked another time that month.
December is a bit early but if you are lucky there might be a few in the bay.
If you are in Legaspi anyway, and the weather is good – why not give it a go? (Sunny days seem to be the best.)
dp
Hi,
do you know how far is Legaspi to Donsol? How much time we spend on transfer by bus?
Do you know how much cost day trip to Mt. Mayon to first camp for nice view? Do you think that is possible rent motorbike in Legaspi and go to close to Mt. Mayon on our own?
Best regards Marketa
Hi Marketa,
It is about an hours drive from Legaspi to Donsol. From Donsol there is a shuttle that leaves to Daraga, near Legaspi in the morning.
It is a very easy trip to Carsawa, where there can be a beautiful view of the ruins and the mountains when it is clear. The view tends to be better in the early mornings and towards evening.
I don’t know of any motorbike rentals but there are plenty of jeepneys going that way.
If you want to go up to the observation center on the back side of the mountain, figure on being gone all day. It would be best to rent a v-hire (hired van) and split the costs with others.
cheers
dp
Hi! Im thinking of taking a trip to Donsol at the end of this month. Have there been any sightings yet or will I be coming too early? Thanks!
Hello Christine,
I have seen as many as three in one day in November but as you say it is a bit early and there is a good chance that you get skunked!
ps I am in Palawan right now and do not have any info available about current sightings.
cheers
dp
Hi DP
Great blog!
going to donsol in march/april this year, and hoping to stay at vitton. being in the UK, I dont really want to ring. I tried the email address of annie, but shes not replied. has the details changed do you know?
do you recommend going through travel agencies and packages, or just doing it ourselves?
Guess what Im most afraid of is that they will run out of boats on the day for whalesharks!
Do you know anyone that has dove in Manta Bowl? Or how to contact dive centres to arrange some dives with the rays?
Thanks loads
Hello lavalamp,
My feeling is that going through a travel agency will double or triple your costs – judging by the conversations I have had with those that have booked through travel agencies.
It is very easy to just show up – especially in late March or April – and get rooms and there will be no problem getting on a tour boat.
If you book yourself – it will cost 3,500 pesos for 7 people. (around 500 pesos each – 10 USD) It is common to share the boat with other snorkelers to cut costs.
Rooms at the Vitton Resort are pricey but they are nice. The Woodland Resort and Amor Farms Resort are also on the beach (not great sand or swimming conditions)
Giddy’s Place is a new high end resort in Donsol proper.
The Santiago and Hernandez Lodging houses are the cheapest places to stay in town – around 400 pesos. Giddy’s Place has the best food.
My feeling is that if you are in Donsol it is best to concentrate on the whale sharks because it is so cheap and is a fantastic experience.
Scuba diving is not allowed in the bay. The “Manta Bowl” is off of Ticao Island, around an hour away and the mantas often do not show. Diving there is not cheap either because of the cost of running the pumpboat all the way over there.
When the mantas do show – it is unforgettable because they are the really big ones!
cheers
dp
There is a dive shop in the Amor Farms Resort
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/bicol/amor-farm-beach-resort.html
Hello Dutchpickle,
I am planning to go to Legazpi and stay there, and go to Donsol only during the day because the resorts there are either expensive or too basic. Anyway I want to make only one trip and not go to the sea every day.
Do you think it is possible to take a morning bus Legazpi-Donsol and fit into one of the boats? How early do the boats leave? I expect many tourists to be there in March.
Thank you
Hello Katia,
There are no direct buses to Donsol that I am aware of. Most buses will stop at Putiao at the intersection to Pilar/Donsol.
You might even have to do a transfer in Daraga to catch a south bound bus.
From there you would have to catch a jeepney to Donsol. From town you would have to catch a tricycle to the tourist center – 4 kilometers from Donsol town.
The trip could be done if you were familiar with the route but it would be very difficult to make the connections and get to Donsol early enough in the mornings to join a snorkeling boat, if it is your first time.
There are two decent budget places to stay in Donsol and it would be a lot less hassle. Santiagos and Hernandez lodging houses – both nice.
Amor Farms Beach Resort – about 1 kilometer away from the tourist center – is a medium budget place and it’s right on the beach.
Giddy’s place is a newly opened guesthouse in Donsol itself. It might be more high end than what you are looking for but they have great food and wi-fi.
If you took a shuttle van from Legaspi to Donsol and shared the costs with others you could make it easy, but I think you will run into problems (time wise) if you use public trans and try to make it there in the morning unless you get a very early start.
cheers
dp
Hi, plans of going to Donsol? Try the newest resort in town, AGM Beachfront Resort. This is a medium-budget resort, just a few steps away from the tourist center. The resort has a restaurant with a good view of the beach. It is a family-operated resort that treats all guests as family. It’s your home away from home.
For reservations: agmresort @ gmail.com; tel nos:(63) 0919-6882262; or (63)0917-3813404
Hi DP,
I’m going to Donsol for whale shark watching in mid-April and Annie of Vitton Beach Resort has verbally confirmed us a room but never able to send us an email confirmation (I understand the internet signal is weak there).
Anyway, I saw in your reply to others that we can just show up at the tourist center around 7:30 to 8:00 am to get a boat organized. I wonder if there is enough boat and if the cost included the boatmen, spotters and BIO? is there any way we can make a reservation in advance?
Besides, we want to have Evening Firefly watching and island hopping during our free time in Donsol, do you know whether we have to make any advance booking for these? and what will be the cost?
Thank you very much!
Hello Jo,
There are plenty of snorkeling boats available in Donsol. The total cost is 3,500 pesos for the boatman, spotters and guide. If you go with a group of 7 – the cost per person will be 500 pesos.
plus –
park fee 300 pesos
fin and snorkel rental 300 pesos
Some people leave the boys a bit of a tip if they were happy with the service and had a great day!
In my opinion it is more difficult to try to book the boat in advance in spite of what tour companies might say. In the mornings there are plenty of tourists that will also be looking for partners on their boat.
The tour center is a bit disorganized so try not to get flustered by the confusion. There will be plenty of whale sharks to look at – no matter if you get a late start. (Feb and March are the best months)
Booking through a travel agency, rather than at the tour center itself will be very expensive and unnecessary because all tour agencies must book at the tour center as well and will just tack on a hefty fee for their services.
The firefly tour is done through a different group. They run up the river and watch the fireflies on the bushes that line the shore. It will be no problem organizing that tour on your own as well.
Just ask the manager of your hotel or guesthouse and the boatmen will come knocking on your door.
Island hopping is not a big thing in Donsol because there are no nearby islands. Ticao Island is a good 45 minutes away and an hour and a half to the manta bowl dive sites off of Ticao.
Have fun!
dp
Hi DP,
Thank you so much for your useful information and advice! You’ve created a great site here! Thank you for all your sharing!
b.t.w. we still can’t get Annie’s confirmation… :(
jo
Good day!
Thank you for this site, it’s very informative :D
My family and some friends are planning to have an overnight stay in Donsol (April 25) before we go to CWC – Camsur for 2 nights. I was just wondering until what time can we book for a boat ride? Because we’ll be coming from Legaspi and along the way we are planning to check out Mount Mayon and i am not really sure how much time we would consume because our flight going to Legaspi is arriving at 8am. Also, how much would the cost be for firefly watching/river cruise?
Do you also know any vans we could rent from airport-Donsol?
Giddy’s seem to be a good place to stay in, do they have packages for all of these activities or is it much better to book all of it when we get there?
thank you so much, your reply is much appreciated :D
Hello Andrea,
You should try to be at the whale shark center by 8am or maybe even 9am but try not to arrive too late.
It would not be a good idea to stop at Cagsawa (Mt Mayon viewing area) on the way because it will put you behind schedule.
Why don’t you give Giddy’s a call and get more info about shuttle van service and firefly tour information.
contact info: Giddy’s – +63 (2) 425 2627
cheers
dp
Hi! My family has plans of going to Donsol and we are booked from Manila for Legazpi May 23-28, 2010. I was told that the whale sharks would have departed then. Is this true? What other tour would you recommend? We are going to Ticao for a few nights too.
Thanks!
Hello Irene,
I think that there will be a few stragglers passing though, but late May is not the optimum time of year for whalesharks in Donsol.
Whale sharks are a mirgatory animal and they have usually moved on by late May – June. One factor is that there are heavy rains by then and so much debris is washed into the bay from the river that the water is muddy and full of tree branches etc making it difficult for the whale sharks to feed.
Having said that – I have seen as many as three whale sharks in one day in November, 7 on the first day of Dec last year (2009), and my best encounter was far out at sea in mid May.
The water was crystal clear and the whaleshark was a perfect specimen. The waves were big and only 3 of us on the boat actually got to swim with that shark. We were probably 5 kilometers or so off the beach, when we spotted the whale shark feeding on the surface – even the guide was surprised!
There were only 3 boats that went out that day and the weather was so rough that we had to depart from the river, rather that from the beach in front of the tour center. It was May and it was the best whale shark encounter that I ever had (out of about 10 trips to Donsol)!
The most we ever saw was 27 in two days in February. There were several others swimming along that we just watched from a distance because the other snorkelers on our boat had seen enough and wanted to go back to shore.
I can stay out all day! Just love these whale sharks!
cheers dp
ps Ticao has some splendid currents running past and should be a great experience. The Mantas are very very big but are not always seen. If you are lucky enough to see them you will never forget the experience!
Hello dutchpickle.
I’ve read you website with great interest as i’m going to the Philippines myself in 10 days. I plan to be in Donsol from the 25th to 29th of January and wondered if you can tell me what the chances on seeing the whale sharks are. Has there been many sighting so far this year? Also there will be 7 of us arriving do you think we will just be able to turn up at the centre and hire the boat, the people and all equipment on the day. Also any advice on accomadation, trekking mt mayon and the firefly experience would be much appreciated.
Thank you for your time
Michael
Hello Michael,
You should have no problem just showing up at the tour center. There should be daily whale shark sightings in late Jan!
Have fun…
dp
Good day!
Your information is very useful !!
I ‘m planning to go to Donsol from Cebu by ferry as you went.(Cebu-Masbate-Pilar)
And I checked schedule ferry.
Fist ferry(Cebu-Masbate) arrives at Masbate at 7:30 am and next ship (Masbate-Pilar) departs at 8:00!!
Could you ferry transfer quickly at Masbate?
Or did you catch next ferry at 12:00?
And I wonder if I can join whale tour the day I arrive at Donsol.
Colud you give your advice?
Best regards
Hello mi,
You should be able to make the ferry transfer in Masbate rather quickly – many travelers might opt for a quick meal at one of the many eateries or carinderias that are at the entrance to the pier.
Remember that you will also have to catch a jeepney from Pilar to Donsol. Its maybe a 20 minute ride. I think that it is better to check into one of the lodges in Donsol the first day and try to swim with the whalesharks the following morning. The tourist center is on the beach about 4 kilometers from town. Maybe it would be best to go down to the Whale Shark Center the first day too = just to sort out the situation and prepare for the following morning.
My guess is that most of the whale shark boats leave between 8 am and 9:30 am but few after noon.
dp
Hi! i’d like to ask if how long is the traveling time to donsol from legazpi airport,
We will be arriving 7:30 am and needs to catch up with friends who is already there in donsol to reserve us a boat. do you think we can still see butanding around 9am?
by the way this blog is very informative! thanks a lot!
Hello Kristine,
There are often butanding or whale sharks at 9 am. They are often swimming about up to 2 or 3 pm and at night too!
It will probably take about an hour and a half to go from the Legaspi Airport To Donsol direct in a minivan. Taking public transport could take up to 3 hours plus if you include waiting time for the jeepneys and buses.
The whale shark center is on the beach about 4 kilometers from Donsol proper. The staff will insist on you watching a video before they let you go out. I feel it will be unlikely that you will be on the water by 9am if you arrive in Legaspi at 7:30 am
too many variables – you will also have to sort out renting your mask and snorkel before you get on the boat. Vendors have stands right there at the tourist center
good luck and have a great time!
dp
Hi. Just saw the nice article re Giddy’s. Thanks.
Our backpacker rooms are fixed. There are two beds (bunkbed) per room and we sell it on a per bed basis. Its at 600 per bed with breakfast. But it is really small rooms and spartan. We do provide towels and a hair and body wash and they can use the pool.
We’ve recently opened our dive center and relabelled our resort a dive resort. We have donsol’s only (and the bicol region’s) dive training pool. Its 3.2M deep with a platform for training. We have an in-house dive instructor so we can do try-dives and courses anytime.
We are also the only PADI Affiliated center in Donsol and the bicol region thereby telling people that we do things according to PADI Safety standards.
We have the only Nitrox Blending Facility in the area. We also are the only one with Oxygen clean tanks and oxygen compatible air. All our tanks are inspected and gears well maintained (this makes it hard to rent gear from others as theirs are not so I had to decide just recently to invest in a lot of items to ensure quality and safety).
We are also the only resort open the whole year round so I hope this coming off season we are successful enough to market it for divers (we put whaleshark interaction as just another seasonal activity.
By the way, was not born in Donsol… lived in Manila all the way… dad was born there and grew up there. He’s in Chicago now with the second brother .
Do visit us sometime… I rarely go there… was there late feb to attend a nitrox blending course and now coming tomorrow for a week to meet with PANGEA, a japanese based conservation NGO stayiong in Giddy’s for more than a week. Wanted to discuss how that can start programs involving the Ogod river which hosts the fireflies and mangroves which are the nurseries of the fishes.
Cheers,
Raymond
Dear Raymond !
Thanks for the correction and extra information.
I am eager to visit your place again ! I always loved the food your chef makes :)
You really did a great job in building Giddys Place!
I wish you continued success…
dp
Hi DP,
What a fantastic and informative website you have created here!
I found more info here in 30 mins (the time it took to read your site), than i have in hours searching on google!
I was wondering if you could help me out too. I was looking to travel to Donsol as part of my honeymoon (wifey wants to see a Whaleshark). We are travelling in early December. Would our chances be good if we stayed for a few days? And would you have a recommend stay for us? A bit up-market?
Thanks
Evan
Hello Evan
Early December is a little early in the season for spotting whale sharks – but I have seen them several times in December.
The season starts to get bust in Feb and March :)
There are about 4 decent resorts located near the whaleshark tour center on Donsol beach and Giddys is a new place in Donsol town itself – the food and atmosphere is nice and they have good wifi
Two budget places in Donsol town are the Hernandez and the Santiago guesthouses .
Have fun :)
dp
Hi Dutchpickle
We are heading to Donsol in March next year and would like to see if you have information with regards to:
1. Donsol Bay Resort
2. Dancalan Beach Resort
3. If no, where would you recommend us to stay? All we need is a nice clean sheet.
4. Resorts say they can arrange Whaleshark Interaction in advance for us, but need to pay upfront
5. Resorts will give us bank information with “private” bank details and not the resort bank details for wire transfer. Is this the accepted practise?
If you can please reply me via my email… thanks very much.
Hello Jan
I usually stay in Donsol town at the Santiago guesthouse or the Hernandez guesthouse.
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/bicol/hernandez-guesthouse-donsol.html
If you want to be on the water check the Amor Farms Resort on the bay as a possibility.
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/bicol/amor-farm-beach-resort.html
All whale shark tours can be self booked at the whale shark tourist center in person – no need to pay some one else in advance because they will book your tour at the same center. All snorkeling tours in Donsol bay are booked through them so no need to pay extra to a middle man.
I found that Giddy’s Place in Donsol has the best food and atmosphere .
http://www.dutchpickle.com/philippines/bicol/giddys-place-donsol.html
dp
Hi Dutchpickle,
I am planning to come to Donsol on 28th Jan – 30th Jan 2012, could you please tell me if there have been recent whale shark sightings?
Many thanks,
Camille