The Responsible Traveller: Swimming with the Whalesharks

I felt like a secret shopper. After years of reading up about the Philippines' prime eco-tourism destination - swimming with the whalesharks or as the locals call them 'butanding' - I was finally there and swimming alongside the world's largest fish in all it's glory.

Except, it wasn't in its glory. It was very likely quite stressed, which was a feeling one of my fellow travellers lamented on the last 'exposure'. My German companion came back on the boat exclaiming, "You should have seen it, you could see the whaleshark get angry. All of a sudden it thrashed about and dove down to the depths of the sea".

I wasn't surprised. For years I had used the Donsol whalesharks as a key example of tourism doing the right thing. Community collaboration, rules and regulations, protecting the fish as a number one priority. However, I knew that reading case-studies and actually seeing the process for myself were two different things.

We got there early, registered and were assigned boats. After hiring our equipment, we were ushered onto the boat, but woops - they forgot about the briefing. So, it was little surprise when after the first exposure my Chinese companion gushed to us all "I touched it, I touched it". I mumbled under my breath that she wasn't supposed to touch it (for her sake just as much as the fish's). When it was my turn to swim, the guide grabbed my arm and pulled me close to the whaleshark. With a determined pulling motion, we had broken the code of conduct rule to keep at least 3 metres distance.

After that experience, I stayed on the boat until nearly the end of the morning. Whilst on-board, I pulled out the brochure and read up about the whaleshark and our expected behaviour:

1. Do not touch or ride the whale shark - woops, my Chinese companion already did that.
2. Do not restrict the movement of the shark or impede its natural path - people were jumping off the boat directly into the path of the shark.
3. The recommended distance from the whale shark is 3 meters from the head and body and 4 meters from the tail - violated.
4. Do not undertake flash photography - check
5. Do not use scuba, scooters, jet-ski or any motorized underwater propulsion - check
6. A maximum of six (6) swimmers per shark is allowed - at one count there were 23 swimmers on one whaleshark.
7. There must be only one boat per whale shark - I counted at least 4 boats to one whaleshark.

Whilst I was one of the privileged members of the world's population to marvel at the sight of a whaleshark, I was deeply saddened by the lack of implementation of the process. However, later on during the week, I was reminded about how far the locals have come. From once whaleshark hunters, the locals are now earning from taking tourists to celebrate the whalesharks and their graceful movements.

There is no argument that the current situation is a vast improvement on decades of whaleshark fishing, however now is not time for complacency in the execution of a well-planned tourism strategy. Let's all play our part in ensuring the whalesharks come to no further harm, and that Donsol remains a best practice tourism site.

What can you do?

1. Effective tourism management requires all stakeholders to play their part. As a tourist - you are a key stakeholder to the process. Get acquainted with expected behaviour through the Code of Conduct - and try your best to follow those ones in which you have direct control (ie keeping 3-4 metres distance, not touching the shark etc).

2. Learn more about the whalesharks.

3. Find out how far the locals have come - learn their story from hunters to protectors.

Interesting reading

1. Read this extract of an academic study looking into the Tourist Compliance to Donsol Whaleshark Code of Conduct.

2. Read a comparative study of the Whaleshark Eco-Tourism programs in Donsol and Belize evaluating conservation and community benefits.

Responsible Travel Code

Be prepared
– Learn as much about your destination before you go and try to learn a few basic words of the language

Think local
– Stay in locally owned accommodation
– Buy locally produced food and drinks in preference to imported goods
– Choose locally made crafts and souvenirs, preferably fair trade
– Hire a local guide – you’ll discover more about local culture and lives, and they will earn an income

Think about where your money goes
– Be fair and realistic about how cheaply you can travel
– Haggle with humour and not aggressively, but always make sure you pay a fair price. Keep in mind the skill and work that went into the craft and pay according to value

Embrace culture
– Open your mind to new cultures and experiences
– Think carefully about what’s appropriate in terms of your clothes and the way you behave. You’ll earn respect and be more readily welcomed by local people

Consider your ecological footprint
– Help preserve local wildlife and habitats by respecting rules and regulations
– Avoid buying products made from endangered plants, wild animals, shells or hard woods. Instead buy products made from renewable materials
– Be mindful of resource usage. Switch off lights and turn off appliances. Use water sparingly, tourists tend to use far more than local people
– Reuse plastic bags, take used batteries home, and refill your water bottle or use purifying tablets so you needn’t buy bottled water
– Get closer to people and places by using public transport, bicycles and walking
– Consider offsetting carbon emissions for your flights

Outdoor adventure
– Seek out local guides, but do check their safety standards
– If diving or snorkelling, never touch or step on coral or any other marine creature
– If trekking with the option of a porter, it’s always better to hire a porter and pay a fair price
– Avoid washing in streams, rivers and springs. If there are no bathroom facilities, bury toilet waste away from water source and dispose of toilet paper properly

Photography
– Always ask before taking photos of people. Some people don’t wish to have their photos taken and you should respect that. It is best not to pay people (especially children) for taking their photograph
– Sometimes you might be offered to have your photograph taken with a ‘wild’ animal (eg tarsier, snake or eagle). It is best not to encourage this behaviour

Guidebooks
– Guidebooks are a great source of information, but use them only as a guide. Talk to the local people, do your own research, discover your own adventure!

Profile of a Responsible Tourist

The responsible tourist is of no specific age, sex, occupation, race, class, religion or other demographic.

The responsible tourist comes to the country armed with background knowledge and understanding of the complexities surrounding the political climate and social issues.

The responsible tourist supports human and animal rights.

The responsible tourist supports the local community and economy in every way possible.

The responsible tourist views travel as an educational experience for themselves and for their host communities and as an opportunity to share information and engage in a true cultural exchange.

The responsible tourist doesn’t support any form of sex tourism – especially child sex tourism, instead the responsible tourist speaks out against it.

The responsible tourist has a firm commitment to the environment.

The responsible tourist supports the value of local customs and cultures, which includes being sensitive in their own actions and dress code.

The responsible tourist tries to make a positive impact in each and every action.

Are you ready to be a responsible tourist?

Positive & Negative Impacts of Tourism

Each and every action a traveller makes either has a positive or negative impact. The following list describes examples of such impacts:

Positive Impacts
- Supporting economic opportunities for the local people - this includes customing hotels, restaurants, transport operators and tour guides that are locally owned and managed.
- Supporting rural livelihood opportunities - by visiting locally-run rural tourism initiatives, this helps to reduce urbanization which is increasing at an alarming rate.
- Supporting diversification of the local economy by spending money at small businesses - this includes anything from buying fruit from a street-side vendor, to buying stationary, to buying local music or clothes shopping.
- Helping conservation by supporting initiatives aimed at environmental protection; not littering; bringing own water bottle and filling it up regularly or using iodine tablets; catching public buses; avoiding flying; not accepting plastic bags for purchases if not necessary; when at beach resorts, not taking shells or touching coral or marine wildlife.
- Encouraging women’s participation by supporting traditional local initiatives such as handicraft shops, but also supporting family-run establishments that encourage the active role of women in the family (for example, tea-shops & family run hotels)
- Helping to encourage educational opportunities, including the formal and information vocational and language training required to support tourists; tourists can also volunteer to teach English or other vocational skills.
- Sensitivity to political, cultural and social climate
- Cultural exchange through interaction with the locals

Negative Impacts:
- Supporting economic leakage by customing outside-owned and managed establishments (including national and multi-national chains)
- Supporting cultural exploitation – ie watching cultural shows that are put on for tourists’ benefit as this can have the impact of devaluing the meaning of the cultural activity. In some cases, especially for the ethnic communities, the people themselves may not choose to be tourist attractions and therefore may not receive any of the benefits.
- Partaking in activities that enhance environmental degradation
- Supporting sexual and child exploitation
- Not respecting local culture and customs - for example by dressing inappropriately, exhibiting forceful or rude behaviour, public displays of affection.

The Responsible Traveller

Swimming with the Whalesharks