Chasing Whale Sharks in Pintuyan, Southern Leyte FEBRUARY 24, 2018 whale-sharks-in-pintuyan-southern-leyte I almost didn’t go to this trip, because of shallow reasons involving money. In case you didn’t know, I do not have a job. Not that you care about this, but as an obvious reason, it is an important way to generate money and to make my travel dreams come true (A little bit exaggerated but I know that you get it). Anyway, I’m grateful that I have the energy and a boyfriend who supports me in everything I do, and I went anyway. Accompanied by fellow freedivers. We had one goal. To see and swim with the gentle giants, known as whale sharks. The first time I tried freediving, I was in awe how my body can adjust underwater. How the deep blue is amazingly beautiful, overwhelming and scary all at once. I felt that the same feeling last weekend during our visit in Pintuyan, Southern Leyte. Photo by @Badjaw_ The First Time I saw Whale Sharks I remember the first time I saw these gentle giants was in our trip to Oslob last 2015. I was in awe and scared at the same time not knowing that it was bad for the whales. Whale Sharks were and still are being fed with krills (uyap) by the boatmen and this practice made the whale sharks dependent and it messes up their migratory patterns. Aside from that, this can lead to malnutrition. I’m not an expert, but as far as I know it has been a controversial tourist spot especially to biologists or even to travelers who seek and do ethical activities. I always mention this, knowledge can bring to better actions. Maybe knowing a little and a bit more can help us make better decisions. Not just on how we travel, but on how we do in our daily lives. How to get to Pintuyan: From Cebu to Hilongos Roble Shipping (Pier 3) Available travel times are: 12 Noon, 2:30 PM and 9:00 PM Travel time is 4-6 hours, and ticket cost Php265-450 depending on the accommodation. From Hilongos to Pintuyan – Van going to Pintuyan Drop by at Brgy. Son-ok II in Pintuyan. Bus fare Php150-200 How we did it? We took a ferry from Cebu City to Hilongos, Leyte via Roble Shipping for Php275 (economy A). Travel time was 9Pm to 2:30AM. From Hilongos we got on a mini bus going to Maasin City for Php70. It was an hour drive. Then from the terminal, we hired a multicab for Php500 going to Padre Burgos. We rented a boat in Padre burgos that will take us to Pintuyan then to Limasawa Island. We had a little problem because the first boat gave un an overpriced cost for the boat (Php8000). Then a boatman offered a lower priced around Php4000. If you will go to Padre Burgos and want to rent a boat you can contact Samson at 09177549569. Important Details about Pintuyan Whale Shark Interaction Pintuyan whale interaction is operated by the KASAKA, an association of fishermen in Pintuyan. Whale sharks appear in the area during November to May. They roam freely in Sogod bay which also means that when you visit, it is not always 100% assured that the whale sharks will appear. Before swimming with the sharks, all tourists and visitors must undergo briefing where they will discuss about the important guidelines for tourist safety and less disturbance to the whale sharks. Such as below: Whale Shark Pintuyan Southern Leyte-5 Image from Visit Pintuyan Site Expenses: Environmental Fee – Php250 per guest Spotters – Php300 per spotter Guides – Php350 per guide Pump boats – Php800 each (good for 3 pax) During our trip, we already rented a boat so we didn’t paid for the pump boats, we hired 1 guide and 6 spotters. We were a group of 10 people. Unexpected Chasing Game
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