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SORSOGON Beyond the whale sharks phenomenon -1
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Aileen Lainez
Date: 2000-01-17
 
Sorsogon used to be a little-known destination located

at the southernmost tip of Bicol. But in early 1998,

events took a detour and gave the province instant

popularity, especially among nature-lovers and

adventure-seekers. A scuba diver showed to news

media his personal underwater video of the biggest fish

in the world, the whale sharks, swimming gently in the

nearby seas of Donsol town.



Since then, curious travelers have found their way to this

little quiet town, either by enduring a 12-hour bus ride or

flying comfortably to Legaspi City and taking another onehour

ride to Sorsogon. To accommodate the tourist influx, the

local tourism council has set up whale shark interaction

tours, which includes swimming with the butanding, local

name of whale sharks.



Donsol accepts the most number of tourists in between the months of January and

June, the time when the spotted giants usually appear.



Spotting them is not always easy. The whale sharks swim in their natural habitat and

therefore, their swimming area is a wide expanse of sea. Whale shark spotters,

fishermen who have this uncanny ability of seeing where the fish are, can be hired.

However, spotters are still no guarantee, a risk butanding visitors have to take. Many

are unperturbed and continue to seek the elusive gentle giants.



Land-based attractions



Unknown to many, when whale sharks are nowhere in

sight, there are land-based attractions in the

province that they can visit allyear round. The

Sorsogon Tourism Council is now working to promote

the province's other beautiful sights and sounds.

Eco-tourism is the buzzword nowadays, and this is

what the council aims to achieve.



From the paved roads of Sorsogon, one can get a

view of the almost perfect cone of Mt. Mayon in the

nearby Albay province. Mt. Bulusan is Sorsogon's very

own, which may not have a cone as picturesque as

Mayon's but certainly as scenic. The active volcano is located within the vicinity of

the Bulusan National Park, a natural wonder that only few visitors have seen. At the

bosom of the national park are lush rainforest and stunning turquoisecolored lake.



Over the centuries, the place has maintained an aura, which can only be described as

enchanting. Nature-lovers find it spectacular and overwhelming as foreigners call it

the "Switzerland of the Orient."



The park stands 2,000 feet above sea level and covers a land area of 16 ?-hectares,

teeming with diversity as variant as any rainforest in the world. Rare plants and

endangered animal species abound here. The park is believed to be 3,074 geological

years old.



Visitors can picnic, fish, swim, relax and enjoy the scenery. A concrete pathway

around the lake was built for people who want to trek and look for best picture-taking

vantagepoints. The verdant forest has kept the atmosphere cool and refreshing, even

at the time of the day when the temperature is at its highest.



The tourism council is still in the process of exploring opportunities in the national

park, advocating only the activities that do not have any destructive impact on the

environment. They will allow only kayaking, fishing and trekking. Hotels, resorts or

other structures that entail heavy construction will not be allowed. After all, the best

way to have a perfect commune with nature is by blending with it.



Ten minutes from the national park is another favorite nature hop of Sorsoge?os.

Palogtoc Falls is modest in size, but it flows all the way to a natural pool that has

become a favorite swimming hole among the locals especially on hot summer days.



Rizal Beach in the town of Gubat is considered the Boracay of the Bicol region

because of its long stretch of white beach in a perfectly symmetrical cove. The water

is crystal clear, calm and cool for swimming. It has lately become quite a favorite

vacation spot because there are a couple of inexpensive resorts in the area.
 

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