yep, I kept pace with the butanding swimming along..
to be more specific, I had my snorkel gear (except fins) and I was over the butanding...to make it easier for me, an experienced diver/swimmer was towing me along on top of them...so I got some few pics (but since they are big fishes I only got portions of their body)...really a wow experience being close enough to touch these huge guys!
actually we did more climbing in and out of the water than the actual staying in the water...hehehe..
in fact I think Loo was a bit winded out - while Che, Leila and I alternated, he and his friend Chia went into the water everytime a sighting was done ....so you can imagine the taking out fins, climbing up the ladder, then putting on fins again then going into the water....probably more than a dozen times for them...
If you were there anticipating the appearance of butandings, why do you have to do that each time there's a sighting? Why not leave the fins on all the time?
its because the butandings move about...and they won't wait for you :-)
so its possible, you swim/snorkel with them, but they go deeper, so you lose them (there are also restrictions kc on how you are "interacting" with these whale sharks)...
and so when you lose them, you stop circling and clamber back up the boat...then the boat goes around again until you have another sighting...so its fins on again and plunk into the water...and the cycle continues....
anyway, definitely better with fins...
but we girls were luckier, we just grasped our guide's arms and since he had fins and had more experience, hence I was able to literally swim over some butandings with just my mask and breather...(no fins)
I feel so lucky to be living here in the Philippines..where the whale shark capital of the world is located :-)
ReplyDeleteHope you guys and gals, will also have a chance to do a "butanding" or whale shark interaction one of these days during its season..
Interaction? Just what exactly did you do to "interact" with a shark the size of a whale?
ReplyDeletedid they allow you to swim alongside the butanding?
ReplyDeleteyep, I kept pace with the butanding swimming along..
ReplyDeleteto be more specific, I had my snorkel gear (except fins) and I was over the butanding...to make it easier for me, an experienced diver/swimmer was towing me along on top of them...so I got some few pics (but since they are big fishes I only got portions of their body)...really a wow experience being close enough to touch these huge guys!
we are not allowed to touch though, but we swam along with them :-)
ReplyDeletelucky for such humongous fellows, they don't mind all these peeps splashing along with them..
Awesome experience! Good for you!
ReplyDeletemy friends were not allowed to swim along with the sharks.
hmm...was it because there were too many boats and people? or baka sa early days pa yun...to be safer?
ReplyDelete2 or 3 yrs ago. You were lucky.
ReplyDeletereally? I thought way back pa sa 2000s and whale watching dito...so much so that they would allow....
ReplyDeleteay gusto ko pa nga, but it wasn't that sunny na...I saw and swam with them about 3 times (one time wala akong nakita)
another item crossed off from the bucket list =) congrats
ReplyDeleteThanks Marie!
ReplyDeletenext, mountain climbing and diving...hehehe
Did you get goosebumps? :-)
ReplyDeletenope...I was just too enthralled with seeing them....nawala ang nerbiyos being so near to these wonderful creatures...
ReplyDeleteIf you're in the water for some of time, diba magkaka-goosebumps ka talaga, hehehe...
ReplyDeleteactually we did more climbing in and out of the water than the actual staying in the water...hehehe..
ReplyDeletein fact I think Loo was a bit winded out - while Che, Leila and I alternated, he and his friend Chia went into the water everytime a sighting was done ....so you can imagine the taking out fins, climbing up the ladder, then putting on fins again then going into the water....probably more than a dozen times for them...
If you were there anticipating the appearance of butandings, why do you have to do that each time there's a sighting? Why not leave the fins on all the time?
ReplyDeleteits because the butandings move about...and they won't wait for you :-)
ReplyDeleteso its possible, you swim/snorkel with them, but they go deeper, so you lose them (there are also restrictions kc on how you are "interacting" with these whale sharks)...
and so when you lose them, you stop circling and clamber back up the boat...then the boat goes around again until you have another sighting...so its fins on again and plunk into the water...and the cycle continues....
anyway, definitely better with fins...
but we girls were luckier, we just grasped our guide's arms and since he had fins and had more experience, hence I was able to literally swim over some butandings with just my mask and breather...(no fins)
I still would leave my fins on all the time, even while on the boat.
ReplyDeletemahirap to climb up the ladder yata..hehehe
ReplyDelete