Whale shark spotting in southern Leyte

Whale sharks of Sogod Bay – Southern Leyte

I took a trip to Pintuyan in southern Leyte two weeks ago to try to see a whale shark or two. We gave it a good shot but didn’t see any tiki-tiki (whalesharks) but this is what I learned about Sogod Bay.

Whale Shark in Southern Leyte

The whale sharks seem to cruise along the west side of Sogod Bay often milling about near the San Ricardo ferry terminal on the southern tip of Leyte. The current rips between Surigao and San Ricardo and then suddenly is calm just past the corner where the whalesharks are sometimes spotted.

This picture is from Leyte looking across to Limasawa Island.

Butanding from Donsol.

Comparing Donsol Bay to Sogod Bay

Pintuyan Sogod Bay

Whalesharks in Donsol

1) The waters in Sogod Bay tend to be very clear so if you do see the whalesharks there you will be able to see the entire fish from head to tail. The waters in Donsol tend to be very cloudy so when you see them you have to be close and sometimes you can not see more than 3 meters and can not see the whole fish at one time. Occasionally there are places where the current brings in clear water and you get beautiful views, but not often.

2) In March and April you are almost guaranteed to see a few whale sharks in Donsol Bay ( sometimes more than 10 in one day). The sightings are less frequent in Sogod Bay but the corals and long uncrowded shorelines probably make it very special. We did not spot any on our trip but I did get to follow a beautiful manta for a long distance before it swam into the depths.

3) The boats used in Pintuyan (southern Leyte) are small bancas and take one or two tourists whereas the pumpboats in Donsol take 7 snorkelers and have a crew of three including a spotter and a whaleshark guide (BIO – Butanding Interaction Officer)  The spotter is able to stand halfway up the mast to get a better view. On the small boats in Pintuyan everyone sits and is closer to the water. I had no problems getting in and out of the water but it could present a problem for some. You have to kick a bit when you are pulling yourself back into the boat.

4) The local Kasaka Peoples Organization in Pintutan use two additional one man fishermens boats to help with the spotting and it helps the local economy too. They get 225 pesos each for their services The Pumpboats in Donsol take 7 passengers who split the 3,500 peso fee – making for an incredibly cheap 500 pesos per person.

5) Dive boats from Cebu and Bohol come to dive and look for whalesharks in Sogod Bay. Divers are not allowed in Donsol Bay.

6) Whalesharks can be chanced upon anywhere along the coast in Sogod. Divers that see them in Panatau are especially lucky because you have some fantastic soft coral for a background.

7) Us tourists on a tight schedule and want to check off a whaleshark on the list would be much better off going to Donsol, because it is more tourist oriented and is more organized. The concentration of whalesharks is much greater in Donsol as well. Sometimes you will see the same one two or three times in one day because they don’t have anywhere to go and just swim in circles.

8) Budget lodging in Donsol runs around 400 pesos and there is a lot of tourist infractructure. Southern Leyte has yet to be discovered but with the new road and ferry facilities, it should develop rather quickly. In Pintuyan the local lodging houses charge 100 pesos per person but they are spartan facilities. On the other side of the bay in Padre Burgos you have Peters Dive Shop and Sogod Bay Divers with more tourist oriented facilities. Southern Leyte Divers or Gunters place is around the point and they often dive Limasawa Island. Whalesharks are spotted there on occasion as well.

9) It tends to be cheaper and easier to spot whalesharks in Donsol Bay near Sorsogon than in southern Leyte.

10) For me Sogod Bay is more interesting and less congested. You also don’t get the tourist barges converging on a whaleshark, like you do in fact, get at times in Donsol.

Sogod Bay -  spotting whale sharks in southern Leyte – Pintuyan

Here is Pastor Ernesto Faliccio

He is keeper of the whalesharks. He is a former whaleshark hunter that saw the light and was converted after a hair raising experience similar the events when Captain Ahab was dragged to the depths by Moby Dick.

Ernesto had lined up a buyer for the tiki-tiki (as the whalesharks are called here – butanding in Bicol). He was going to get 5,000 pesos from a buyer in Bohol per delivered tiki-tiki.

He had driven his harpoon deep into the back of one of these magnificent creatures when it sounded. The line got wrapped around Ernestos leg and he was getting dragged to Davy Jones locker when he had his conversion. He reckoned that he was already dead but prayed his final request to the Almighty.

Suddenly he was free and floating to the surface and the rest is history. He still has that rope scar on his leg.

The peoples organization is based in the barangay Son-Ok in Pintuyan, southern Leyte.
contact cell phone
09264477382
09269616814

Costs
pumpboat 700 – 800 pesos
2 spotters – a team of two boats – 450 pesos
Tour Guide (Ernesto or one of his people) – 300 pesos

Rentals
fins, mask, and sorkel 100 pesos for all
mask and snorkel only 50 pesos

Homestay program – (not mandatory but available)
200 per day per person
3 meals and 3 snacks 450 pesos per person (or 150 per meal) eating at local establishments will be cheaper but there are not many in Son-Ok. In poblacion Pintuyan thare are several to chose from. If you don’t have transport you will have to take a tricycle – I am unsure of the costs, but transport is cheap in southern Leyte.

Sogod Bay gets a lot of rain December and January.

Feb, March, April, and the beginning of May are reported the best times to see the whalesharks in both Donsol and Pintuyan.

Whale Shark