Donsol

Each year plankton blooms in the waters off Donsol draw whale sharks, the largest fish in the sea, and the town built an interaction scheme around them that has become a model of how to do this decently. Boats go out with a spotter and a trained guide, and when a shark is found swimmers slip quietly into the water for a brief encounter, keeping a set distance, never touching, never blocking its path, with no feeding used to hold the animals in place, which is what distinguishes Donsol from places where sharks are baited daily for tourists. The result is a genuine wild encounter, which also means it is never guaranteed. Beyond the sharks, the Donsol river runs a lovely evening cruise to watch fireflies massed in the mangroves, and the region around is dominated by the near-perfect cone of Mayon.

What you actually see

• Swimming with whale sharks - brief, rule-bound encounters with the world's largest fish.
• The firefly river cruise - mangrove trees lit by massed fireflies after dark.
• The boat search - the spotting run along the coast that precedes any encounter.
• The Bicol setting - the coast and countryside below Mayon volcano.

When to go

The season runs roughly December to May, with the best numbers usually from February to April; outside it the sharks are simply not there. Mornings have the calmest water and the best visibility. Sightings vary hugely week to week, so allow more than one day if the encounter matters to you.

Honest expectations

This is wild, unfed wildlife, so blank days happen and no operator can promise a sighting; that restraint is exactly why the scheme is worth supporting over places that bait sharks. Rules are strict and enforced, with limited swimmers per shark and no touching, and guides will call people out. Visibility in the plankton-rich water is often poor, which is the price of the food that draws them. Donsol itself is a simple town with basic facilities.

Nearby

Mayon volcano and Legazpi are an hour east; the Sorsogon coast and Bulusan lie further south.