Whale Sharks In Donsol

Donsol, in the northern Philippines, is one of the best kept secrets in diving. It is home to possibly the largest congregation of whale sharks in the world!!!!

At any given time, a large number of whale sharks, Rhincodon typus, known locally as “Butanding” are seen off Donsol town, in Sorsogon province in the Philippines. These are the world's largest fish that can attain a length of 12-15 meters and weigh up to 20 tons. These gentle giants feed on tiny organisms such as plankton, krill and small fish.

Donsol is one of the very few places in the world where they are found regularly in waters close to shore, and can be easily seen by swimming and diving. This is thought to be the highest concentration of whale sharks anywhere in the world and unlike locations like Ningaloo Reef in Australia where whale sharks are spotted by expensive helicopters, is the only place where they can be spotted from a boat.

As this is a whale shark protected area, only snorkeling is allowed in Donsol Bay. However, the whale sharks often come right to the surface, and snorkelers can see as many as 20 on one trip. There is diving at nearby Manta Point where whale sharks and manta rays are often seen at a depth of 20 meters.

The best season is February to June, but the season changes from year to year and can start as early as November. Contact us for current sighting information.

Please contact us to get full details on current packages and prices. Please include number of nights and number of people. Prices decrease significantly with more people. We highly advise that you do at least one day's snorkeling as the sightings can be breathtaking, but please let us know if you prefer to dive as well.

Flights from Cebu to Legaspi

Information is correct at time of writing, please check on Cebu Pacific website!

Tu/Th/Sa: Direct 1 hour flights from Cebu to Legaspi (1:15pm) and Legaspi to Cebu (2:40pm).
M/W/F/Su: Flights via Manila

See our shark diving website for more information.