Sorsogon: Donsol Whale Shark Tours Rates/Boat Rental

Looking for cheap whale shark tours in the Philippines? The cheapest of the cheap is the backpacking way. You can go there using public transportation while at the Donsol Visitor Center, everything is so easy for DIY budget travel enthusiast like Tutubi:

Tutubi was able to visit Donsol, in a spur-of-the-moment unplanned trip, and got to interact with the gentle butanding (local name for whale sharks, Scientific name: Rhincodon Typus), in April 2002 (Holy Week) and swears his Donsol butanding interaction Adventure is his most memorable experience so far.


Swim with the largest fish in the world in Donsol, a place frequented by locals, foreigners for the giant whale sharks, locally called butanding

Updated Information herewith (as of April 2013):

When to Visit Donsol:

Recommended visit to Donsol for the butanding is from January to May when the abundance of plankton, whale shark's main food, make those gentle filter-feeders stay in Donsol Bay. There's also the Butanding Festival in April so be prepared for competition with tourists and higher rates.

Whale Shark Interaction Adventure Tour:

Upon reaching Donsol, register first at the Visitor Center located in Barangay Dancalan where you'll be shown a short video about the whale shark interaction then hire a tricycle to take you to the boat station.

Registration fee per tourist:
Local PhP 100.00
Foreigner PhP 300.00

(at least here, they provide discounts to locals unlike in most places where prices only cater to foreign tourists)

Donsol Visitor Center Opens at 6:00am (even in Holy Week)

Whale shark interaction PhP 3,500.00 (per boat. price includes the three persons:
Skipper: who steers the boat for the tour
Butanding Spotter: standing at the bow always on the lookout for whale sharks
Butanding Interaction Officer (BIO): directs the whale shark interaction


Firefly watching/river cruising PhP 1,250.00 (cost per boat)

If you're a solo backpacker, you can pay PhP500.00 Butanding interaction fee and share the boat with six others

Do take note of the rules and policies posted on the walls of the Visitor Center and reiterated during the video presentation:

1. No touching/riding on the butanding
2. Do not restrict the movement of the shark or block its natural path
3. Recommended distance from the whale shark is 3 meters from the head and body and 4 meters from the tail
4. No flash photography allowed (tip: you may buy inexpensive disposable and waterproof cameras for this, not sharp but passable for bragging rights)
5. No scuba, scooters, jet-ski or any motorized underwater propulsion
6. Strictly one boat per whale shark policy with a maximum of six (6) swimmers per whale shark

Things to do in Donsol other than Butanting Interaction:

Other activities: Donsol River Cruise and Firefly Watching in the mangrove forest (optional but requires an overnight stay unlike the Butanding Interaction tours)

Whale shark picture and video here

Cheap hotels/resorts/accommodations and Where to Stay In Donsol Information:
Donsol Inn-keeper Association (DIKA): +63.906.762.5955

How to get to Donsol, Sorsogon for the whale shark tours (butanding adventure)

Donsol, Sorsogon can be reached via Legazpi City in Albay. Flights from Manila to Legazpi City and Cebu City to Legazpi City are available. Vans bound for Donsol are available at the Satellite Market for another one-hour ride. A short tricycle ride from the Visitor Center to the boat station is required.

Philippine Airlines, ZestAir and Cebu Pacific flies daily to Legazpi City daily. Donsol-bound vans are available at the Satellite Market for another one-hour ride.

For land travel (commute) to Donsol from Manila, buses are available in Cubao, Quezon City for a 12-hour ride to Legazpi City. These buses drop passengers at Satellite Market where one can get a van bound for Donsol.

Philtranco, with terminal in Cubao, has buses to Donsol. Inquire at their office or website for updated fares and trip schedules.

You may also hire vans in your area to drive you directly to Donsol then arrange the tour yourself to save on costs.

For your return trip, you may hire a tricycle (better to commission one in advance to fetch you at an appointed time to avoid waiting) to take you back to Brgy. Dancalan or the FX/Van terminal where vans going to Legazpi are available.

Note: other places where you can avail of whale shark tours are Puerto Bay in Palawan (where they're called tiki-tiki), in Bohol Island and in the waters of Calatagan, Batangas. Donsol is the most famous due to the high concentration of the butanding and already laid claim to the title "whale shark capital of the world."

Fare guide to Donsol, Sorsogon:
Tricycle from Legazpi Airport: PhP50.00/trip (good for 5 persons)
Van from Legazpi City terminal to Donsol: PhP60.00
Tricycle in Donsol to resort: P20.00/person

Besides Whale Sharks, sightings of rare megamouth sharks were recorded in Donsol bay while the nearby Ticao Pass is teeming with giant manta rays for sure sighting.

please leave comments for more tips or fore updates on the cheapest donsol butanding package tours, rates and cost chnages
UPDATED: April 2013

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