It was a warm Maunday Thursday evening when I, together with
my 15 other friends finally rode a van for a road trip going to “The Whale
Shark Capital of the Philippines”. I was very excited to see Mt. Bulusan and the pink sands of Matnog Island. I am also eagerly awaiting for the once in a lifetime opportunity to swim together with the butandings of Donsol. As always, I enjoyed that kind of feeling
when I am inside a car zooming in through those long highways going to
destinations- God knows where. I was just a bit worried as our trip was taking
longer than expected. We were told that the entire trip would take us 15 long
hours! And I was able to let a sigh of relief the next day when I saw a banner
welcoming us to Sorsogon. Finally!!!
We immediately went to the famous Irosin Hot Spring. Nothing
beat this type of relaxation after a 15 hours car ride. I cannot really remember how hot the
pools were. Basta ang sarap lang maligo! The place is being surrounded by calming lush
green sceneries and the mumbled sounds of crickets and frogs in the
background. The experience
certainly helped relax us weary travelers.
On our second day, we went to one of Sorsogon’s priced
natural treasure, The Bulusan Volcano Natural Park. It boasts 3,673 hectares of
rain forest thriving with various species of flora and fauna. There were
different points of interest here such as Mount Bulusan, Lake Aguingay, and our
main destination for the day, Lake Bulusan. The area was so serene and the
view was just breathtaking. It was a communion with Mother Nature. Looking at
the entire lake with the mountainscape and the lush vegetation on the backdrop,
I cannot help but feel a bit proud. Ang ganda talaga ng Pilipinas!
One of the highlights of this trip is seeing and interacting
with the gentle giants of the sea- the Butandings of Donsol. I realized that I
had been skipping back and forth (because of excitement) while we waited for
our boats. And I am also extremely nervous! I just don’t know what to expect.
The staff said that there are times where in the guests went home empty handed.
I mean, no whale shark sighting the entire day. However, my friends were very
positive about the whale thing. And we’ve gotten lucky so far. The weather,
which has been of rainy sort for the past few days, has switched to brilliant
sunshine. After 15 minutes boat ride….there goes the sighting.
The butanding’s swam very close to the surface of the water.
Gear on, we lined up at the side of the boat, ready to jump. The moment the
guide said “jump”, everyone dove in the water. Chaos ensued. I t was a flurry
of flippers and bubbles and neon life jackets as everyone tried to get close to
the butandings. I searched the deep green water frantically, trying to find it,
but couldn’t. Where is it??
There it was! This dark figure with a number of spots on its body, moving through the water. It was really HUGE! I was taken aback by its size and I was so afraid when I realized that I was just an inch away from its massive mouth. Scary! However, it was still a magnificent, graceful creation. I tried my best several times to swim after it, but it was also unexpectedly fast. And then, as quickly as I saw it- it was gone. All in all, I was able to see seven butandings in just an hour. I feel so lucky.
There it was! This dark figure with a number of spots on its body, moving through the water. It was really HUGE! I was taken aback by its size and I was so afraid when I realized that I was just an inch away from its massive mouth. Scary! However, it was still a magnificent, graceful creation. I tried my best several times to swim after it, but it was also unexpectedly fast. And then, as quickly as I saw it- it was gone. All in all, I was able to see seven butandings in just an hour. I feel so lucky.
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