It’s been 24 hours since I left Cebu to swim, observe and learn about whale sharks in their area. The experience was very different compared to the last time I swam with a whale shark 6 months ago in the nearby province of Bohol when I was helping an NGO establish whale shark research.

Bohol was once thriving with whale sharks decades ago but the population began to dwindle in the early 1990s because of excessive hunting. When the national law prohibiting the catching, killing and selling of whale sharks was passed in 1998, sightings of whale sharks started to rise not only in Bohol but in other areas of the Philippines as well. The success of whale shark ecotourism in Donsol, Sorsogon prompted other areas to dwell into this kind of income-generating activity for their municipality. The latest one to jump into this opportunity is a town south of Cebu.

Word spread quickly that this town was offering a swim with whale sharks to tourists. What made this different from other places in the Philippines offering this tourism activity was that they fed whale sharks with uyap (small shrimps). While vertically feeding, tourist flocked around these whale sharks to see them, feed them, get photographed with them or just be amazed by their hugeness.

Even with just its initial implementation, a lot of comments and disgusts have been posted in the newspaper and social networking sites on the conduct of their tourism activity. I received several emails and tagged comments about this and surely needed more information on how this came about. And as if the universe conspired for things that need to happen, it cut my Cagayan de Oro trip short and gave me time to go to this town to investigate the whale sharks in cooperation with a television network.

The first day was exhilarating as it was easy for me to do my photo-identification research in clear blue water with my subjects doing the vertical stance for long periods at a time, gulping at food thrown directly into their mouths. As I moved from one shark to another, I felt the excitement die down.

Where is the thrill of swimming along side of them? Is this really how they should behave? These are just some of the questions that popped into my head at that moment and I know that the succeeding days would be allotted in finding answers to most of my questions.

In order for this tourism activity to be sustainable and beneficial in the long run, it needs to consider three factors; namely social, economic and environmental. Would this activity be able to sustain itself without posing any risks to the environment so that the future generation would be able to enjoy the same resource? It will only be possible if we try to find a way to learn more about it so we could manage it properly. Here are some of the issues and observations on the three aspects that I noticed while I was in the area.

Environmental Aspect
Feeding the whale sharks is one of the most common complaints of tourists (mostly environmentalists) in this town of Cebu. While it is understandable that humans have the compassion to try to feed the ones that are hungry, it is sometimes this good-natured intention that do more bad than good.

In the case of whale sharks in Cebu, the practice has led to a change in the behavior of these creatures, which may be detrimental to their population. The whale sharks tend to associate the presence of boats with food. Our little experiment had shown that they quickly appear when boats start to show in the area. I’ve seen some instances when they would approach the boat and nudge them slightly as if begging for food.

Begging is not an acceptable behavior. It also causes scratches on the whale sharks from hitting the boats and outriggers. (I’ve seen a lot of scratches on the head part with evidence of paint). That begging behavior may pose as threat if they do it somewhere else. That behavior may be thought of as aggressive behavior by fishermen from other parts of the Philippines, which might push them to hit or kill these whale sharks. Some remote coastal areas in the Philippines still don’t know about whale sharks and the law regarding them.

The feeding practice also teaches the whale sharks to be lazy. They may not gain the ability to find their own food and just rely on the ones given by humans. What if the humans run out of food to give these whale sharks? If they get accustomed to this, they might die from starvation.

And I wonder and feel concerned about that time when we can’t get out because of typhoon Sendong. I kept seeing the tails of whale sharks above the shallow waters. What if the typhoon lasted for days and the fishermen cannot get out to feed them? The threat of the whale shark being in shallow waters frightens me. The strong ocean current and waves might push them more inshore and get them stranded.

Their continued presence in shallow waters may hinder them from fulfilling some of their ecosystem and/or life functions in deeper waters. They can dive deeper than 1.5km. They wouldn’t have that capability if it doesn’t have a purpose. If they continue staying on shallow waters, we are hindering their capability to do important things (i.e. what if they mate at certain depths). It is like putting them in a large aquarium… it is just not enough for these giant creatures.

Another observation is that the feeding practices might teach them to be “greedy.” I’ve seen some whale sharks stay vertical for hours, just gulping every food that is thrown into their mouth. Who knows how much food a whale shark can take in a day? I don’t. But I know there is a limit to everything. If we don’t know the limit, wouldn’t it be safer if they get much less and just allow them to find the rest of their needs themselves?

Is there a difference between a live uyap with a dead uyap? What if they have dietary needs not being supplied by the uyap? All I know is it is bad for the health if you are just eating McDonalds and Jollibee everyday. It is probably the same with whale sharks.

The large volume of dead small shrimps being scattered attracts other fish species as well. One local diver told me that they had sightings of other fish species normally found in pelagic areas . The implication suggests the shifting of their habitat. This may pose a danger to tourists if their presence continues. What if smaller fish that are prey to other dangerous sharks find its way to the area? Don’t you think the sharks would follow soon after? So far the big mouth mackerels are showing up and who knows what bigger animals come next. I do hope it is not the dangerous sharks… but the thing is, it may happen.

The increasing concentration of uyap also increases the presence of small jellyfish that feed on them. I got stung several times during my swim and luckily they are not the poisonous ones. The sting lasts only for a couple of minutes. Yet, I am afraid that the dangerous ones might find its ways there too. As you can see, feeding does not only affect the whale shark itself but the whole ecosystem as well. The drastic changes may have irreversible effects that we will regret later on.

Studies show that human-whale shark interaction poses a threat to the whale shark exhibiting avoidance and immediate dive behavior. So far, it is not yet evident in Cebu. But caution should be taken. Donsol whale sharks tend to get disturbed easily nowadays; while in Southern Leyte, whale sharks don’t show for a whole year and can be seen only in the nearby island of Limasawa.

The weakness of the existing rules, and the lack of system and protocol have led to the non-compliance to regulations. Enforcement has been a major problem since stakeholders’ responsibilities have not been laid out in the conduct of tourism. If such practices persist, it won't be long before this town in Cebu may experience the faults of other areas offering the same services. It is sad to learn though that the municipality is focusing more on the topic of establishing fees rather than the smooth operation of tourism, which includes regulation. These brings us to the next two aspects, the social and economic.

Social and Economic Aspects
I sometimes find it hard to separate one from the other as both involve humans yet in different magnitudes. It is imperative that people in the community be given a source of livelihood in order to survive. And this source of income will benefit the municipality in a way as part of its economy.

While it is not yet established whether this income-generating activity (whale shark interaction) is seasonal or not, I guess we should look into this as an alternative livelihood for now. People should still continue with their fishing.

It is obvious that focus on whale shark interaction tourism will benefit both these two aspects but how long can the municipal government sustain this benefit? Are the people ready to face the influx of tourists in the area? Do they have the necessary skills to ensure the smooth operation of tourism? Will the LGU and/or the fishermen consider the welfare of the whale sharks in their implementation or do they just see them as a resource that needs to be exploited?

Sometimes lack of awareness and knowledge hinders them from making the right decision. A lot of people in the town do not know about whale sharks and their behavior. They don’t even know how whale shark interaction was implemented in other areas. Sometimes, they only rely on secondary information and easily accessible information that are likely unreliable. Some divers and fishermen were lectured about whale sharks and the reason for the regulations (i.e. why it is prohibited to touch them etc.). While the same offer was given to the municipality, I didn’t see any interest in them to learn more about it. It is sad to know that the regulations/implementation set up for whale shark tourism does not involve public participation and consultation, especially with the fishermen. In a community where one sector does not have a voice, any activity that concerns them would become a failure if they are not represented properly.

Sustainability
This is such a difficult task to attain knowing the ever changing condition of each aspect. Without any baseline for the existing resource in the area, it is necessary to employ the precautionary principle in making decisions for the moment.

We do not assume that it is OK for the whale sharks to eat uyap everyday or assume it is OK to touch them regularly like pet dogs. We do not assume that it is OK for whale sharks to mistake bubbles from scuba divers as food. We do not assume that it is OK for them to stay in shallow waters for a long time. The more assumptions that we have, the more likely that it would be a failure.

… And it will just be a matter of time that we will feel the effects of our actions. If we take into consideration the natural way of things, whale sharks that supposedly evolved in the era of dinosaurs were able to withstand several climate changes without human intervention and live for a hundred of years or more. One such act of human intervention (i.e. feeding), whether done with good intention or not, might lead to unfavorable effects on whale shark population. Sometimes, we just need common sense in making our decisions and not wait for science to find answers. If we continue to mess around with nature, there will surely be another disaster waiting to happen. And don’t tell me that I didn’t warn you.

Elson Aca is a whale shark expert and environmental activist.

Photos used with permission from Elson Aca.