Whale Shark Presence turns Oslob into Tourist Hub

1

The town of Oslob in southern Cebu has suddenly become a tourist attraction thanks to the presence of whale sharks in the waters. But experts fear while tourism is good for the town, locals know little about handling and care of the species and can therefore harm them.

In the past three months, whale sharks have been seen off Barangay Tan-awan, Oslob in quite a few numbers. Initially, one was spotted in the waters but soon seven of these gentle giants were seen including two pups that were interacting with locals last week.

The whale sharks are locally called tuki and initially the fishermen of the area did not mind their presence. But according to Reneboy Servila, who helped organize fishermen and guided them to become tourist guides, the fishing community began to worry when the whale sharks competed with their catch of tiny shrimps called uyap.

The whale sharks could be fed near the sea surface and that is when the fishermen realized that it could be turned into a tourist attraction.

Soon the news spread through word of mouth and people began coming at Tan-awan for a swim with the whale sharks.

The charges at Servila’s place are P100 for the entrance and another P100 for snorkel rentals. The fishermen who have now tuned into boatmen cum guide charge another 100 when they catch shrimps and feed them to the whale sharks.

However, while the local community seems to be benefiting from the new trade, experts fear that so much interaction with humans might not be good for the whale sharks.

Reports have surfaced that some fishermen have been riding the animals underwater and even holding their delicate dorsal fins and gills.

Sea Knights, a group of divers were present in Oslob to investigate and know more about how the species is being handled by locals. Last Thursday, the group was able to measure the biggest whale shark in the area, at eight meters. The smallest one they found was five meters in length.

“Oslob is already planning on making an ordinance to protect the whale sharks. We want to recommend to the local government that they make an ordinance as soon as possible and have it implemented right away since the number of whale sharks is growing rapidly,” said Fr. Charlie Orobia, OAR, Sea Knights vice president.

He also noted that tourists who go to see the whale sharks also touch them even when they are advised against it. He also found that boats, even the motorized ones from Sumilon and neighboring islands get close to the sharks’ feeding ground.

“They should never be touched because whale sharks are a very rare species and they are susceptible to diseases. The boats should maintain a certain distance. There is a need to educate the boatmen and to let them understand their responsibilities. Tourists should also be briefed on the dos and don’ts before taking a plunge,” Orobia said.

The group knows that the presence of the creatures will boost tourism in the small town massively but they also want to ensure that the locals know how to handle the animals and protect the marine ecosystem.

Sea Knights now plan to print a brochure with all the information on the whale sharks that will be available at the town resorts.

Felicito Alonto of the Municipal Government admitted that the local government has yet to craft guidelines.

“Bag-o paman gud mi nakahibalo ani (We just learned about this),” he said.

But he also added that guidelines will soon be made and markers will be placed for motorboats to point to the places where they could drop their anchor safely.

SOURCE