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All 3 Donsol Attractions »

Donsol Whale Shark Interaction

Barangay Dancalan, Donsol, Luzon, Philippines
52 481-0250
Ranked #1 of 3 tours in Donsol
4.5 of 5 stars 69 Reviews
Type: Tours
Useful Information: Activities for older children
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69 reviews from our community

Visitor rating
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    5
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Date Rating
Labauan Bajo
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 22 May 2012 NEW

We did three trips to see the whalesharks in early April 2012. The office is chaotic and disorganized but that's partly the fault of the over-amped tourists (more to come). Boats cost 3500p and take up to 6 passengers. There is also a small registration fee but they'd never check it if you said you already paid it. You are... More

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Manila, Philippines
Senior Contributor
24 reviews 24 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 18 May 2012 NEW
1
person found this review helpful

Yes, we didn't see the butanding, local name for whale shark, when we went to Donsol late Apr 2012. And we had a long wait at the Donsol Tourism Office. So disorganized. We booked for the Butanding Interaction the day before and we were told to return at 10am the following day for our scheduled trip. We got there at... More

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Adelaide, Australia
1 review
1 helpful vote 1 helpful vote
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012 NEW
1
person found this review helpful

went out on 3 trips each of 3hours cost is 700 pesos approx saw one whale shark for 20 seconds got no photos. Up to 50 boats searching the moment one is spotted every boat heads to it there were 25 boats around the one i saw and it quickly disappeared into the depths I also went to the manta... More

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melbourne
2 reviews
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012 NEW

We went out twice in the 4 days we were in Donsol and were lucky to have a fantastic experience second time out. We did see a whale shark on our first visit, but I wasn't quite sure what to do, so didn't get a great look. Second time, I followed our guide who was great, and I didn't put... More

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
1 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

We went out three times in two days. The first am, we motored around for three hours and did not see a single whale shark. The afternoon found the same lack of whale sharks but we did happen upon a group of 14 other boats that had found a whale shark. We were able to briefly swim with it for... More

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Darwin, Australia
Senior Reviewer
8 reviews 8 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Great day out with friends - very "reliable" showing of the Whale Sharks. The drive to Donsol from the airport at Legazpi can be a little hair-raising - I recommend just go to sleep so you don't get shocked. Accommodations and restaurants in the area are fairly priced, generally clean, and helpful staff - but if you're expecting the Shangri-La...... More

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Belgium
Senior Contributor
30 reviews 30 reviews
Reviews in 16 cities Reviews in 16 cities
10 helpful votes 10 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 3 May 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Although we needed 3 boat trips, the third time was amazing. We saw 3 of them and one was really really close. Keep in mind that it's very touristic and forget about the WWF rules such as one boat per whale shark. On the other hand it's better this than killing them as before. More

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Hong Kong, China
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

Went there during Easter week. Enjoyed excellent weather and smooth seas. Took 2 boats out with friends and was able to v briefly sight 3 whale sharks on the first trip but none on the second day. Nevertheless, it was an exciting experience to see the gentle giants at such a close range. Perhaps it would be better if the... More

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München
1 review
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 April 2012

we (6 persons in a group) have been there in Donsol, Philippines in march 2012 for 3 days, and YES we saw the whalesharks at two tracks on the sea, but differently than expected. These were even more than 20 boats. See yourself our small film we made of that event: The most adventurous WhaleShark Watching. http://youtu.be/7rwJhzeVYlM More

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Colombo, Sri Lanka
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 25 April 2012
2
people found this review helpful

It was amazing to have an encounter with a beautiful creature like a whale shark, even more so to actually swim (not ride!!) with it for ten whole minutes. It is magnificent, huge, and most importantly threatened. Which is why, despite all the fabulous rules and guidelines and the mandatory video we all had to watch b4 our "interaction", once... More

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