Tourists were dismayed when no whale sharks surfaced in the seas off Barangay Tan-awan in Oslob, Cebu, last week. These gentle sea creatures are a major attraction in the province, generating hundreds of millions of pesos from tourism activities over the years. However, unpredictability is one thing that is certain when it comes to forces of nature. Regardless of artificial intervention, nature always finds a way to free itself from human design.
An example of this inevitable truth is the whale sharks that roam around places like Oslob, which are rich sources of their natural food, plankton. The sudden disappearance of these sea animals is not unusual. There have been documented instances when they swam away, only to return later. In the early 2000s, they fled for safety after poachers hunted them for their fins. The creatures started reappearing in 2011 when fishermen hand-fed them baby shrimps to lure them away from damaging fishing nets. This motivated the whale sharks to linger around for food, prompting locals to organize whale-watching activities.
Since then, feeding has become a regular program to entice whale sharks to stay in Oslob. However, environmentalists argue that the creatures should be allowed to freely disperse as part of their natural migratory pattern. In 2016, the Philippines faced controversy after Miss Universe organizers scheduled whale shark watching in Oslob. After negative outcry, tourism authorities removed the event from the itinerary. But the controversy only further promoted the activity.
During the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020-2021, the sea creatures disappeared again in Oslob. Fishermen found it difficult to feed them due to economic hardships. This week, however, the desertion is caused entirely by natural causes. Tourism officials explain that the creatures are filter feeders that follow their food sources. Since plankton shift with sea currents and seasons, the creatures follow their movements. This means Oslob's whale sharks are reverting to their natural instinct of finding food outside the usual feeding area.
But the shift is only temporary, locals assure. Historical experience shows that Oslob's whale sharks tend to roam elsewhere, only to reappear after a while. Just the other day, Cebu Provincial Tourism Officer Rowena Montecillo confirmed that two whale sharks were being watched by tourists in Oslob. The number is similar to a routine lean season in 2024. Currently, there are around 2,000 whale sharks worldwide. An estimated 20 percent, or more than 400, have been recorded in Oslob since 2011. Locals who derive daily income from whale shark watching should have no worries about long-lasting negative implications of this natural phenomenon.
