Affiliates
Contact Us
Century International Hotels
TravelSmart.NET

PHILIPPINES
HONG KONG
CANADA
EUROPE
USA
INDONESIA
SINGAPORE
THAILAND


THE WEBSITE
Philippines

A close encounter with dolphins and whales ENTERTAINERS OF THE SEA
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Rachel Castro-Barawid
Date: 2002-09-28
 
BAIS CITY, Negros Oriental – Dolphins and whales are the most friendly creatures of the sea and recently, I learned that they are also among the world’s greatest entertainers.







On one fine day, I had this rare opportunity to commune with these adorable mammals in their natural habitat.





I, along with seven Manila-based reporters were in Negros Oriental recently for a six-day media safari organized by Yolly Seneres Sirilan, tourism consultant of Dauin and her associates. As part of the safari, we were brought to the cities of Dumaguete, Bais and the towns of Mabinay, Dauin, Valencia and Zamboangita. During the trip, we were able to see each of its distinct features, visit its various natural attractions and observe the locals’ way of life.





Our dolphin and whale watching tour in Bais City was one of the highlights of our media safari. It was organized by Antonio Serrano, Jr., officer of the Bais City Tourism Office.





Our journey into these animals’ territory kicked off as soon as we boarded a motor boat at the Capiñahan Wharf. We cruised for 45 minutes toward Tañon Strait, a narrow channel between Negros and Cebu islands and just across Bais Bay. On the way, we passed by a strip of mangroves where various species of birds and endemic Philippine mallards or wild ducks can be found. Jeremias N. Perez, Tourism Operations officer from the office of Bais Mayor Hector Villanueva along with two lady student trainees became our designated tourist guides for the dolphin/whale watching tour. As if a prelude to the much-awaited show, Jeremias eagerly entertained us with his stories and antics during our cruise. We were gladly surprised to discover that this seemingly serious officer we had dinner with the night before at the mayor’s house changed to a jolly and funny person overnight. We had one heck of a time while waiting for the dolphins and whales to show up; with most of my companions playing around and imitating Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet in the famous scene from the movie “Titanic.”





Jeremias said that it is important for tourists to be patient when waiting for the animals to show up. One just has to wait, clap his hands, whistle and call for the dolphins from time to time until they finally appear. Judging from the calm and clear blue waters of the seas and our timely visit which is the season for this kind of activity, we were quite sure any minute a pair or a group of these cute creatures would turn up and perform to our delight. Surely, after some time, these dolphins and whales beckoned to our claps, calls and whistles. First it was just one dolphin, then came another. Soon, there were three or more of these animals displaying various natural behaviors like bow-riding, breaching, logging, spy-hopping and spinning. They do all these tricks so swiftly that before I even get a good shot of them with my camera, they are already swimming below our boat. They performed quite a show for us for a few minutes.





I had a hard time remembering which kind of dolphins and whales we saw. But Jeremias told us that the species of dolphins and whales that can be found here in Tañon Strait are Long-snouted spinner dolphins, Pantropical spotted dolphins, Bottlenose dolphins, Fraser’s dolphins, Risso’s dolphins, Melon-headed whales, short-finned pilot whales, Pygmy killer whales and Dwarf sperm whales. He also added that out of the 23 species of marine mammals documented to have been sighted in Philippine waters, nine species have been sighted at Tañon Strait.





All of us were up on our feet, following them as they move from one side of our banca to the other. At this moment, I couldn’t help but feel like a child again, obviously mesmerized and awestruck by these adorable creatures.





Dolphins and whales breathe air and maintain constant body temperature. They feed their offspring with milk secreted by their mammary glands. Like humans, they are very sociable creatures who live in very close family units.





During the tour, we were also advised to observe proper behavior and guidelines. Tourists are prohibited to touch, feed and swim with the dolphins and whales to avoid accidents and to preserve the natural instincts of these animals. Jeremias explained that touching these mammals may irritate them and attempting to feed them can attract sharks, poison the dolphins and encourage them to take fishing bait, which can result to serious injury.





Our guide also disclosed that the dolphins and whales in this area are protected by a local ordinance that is strictly being enforced through the Bantay Dagat (sea wardens). The season for watching these animals is during the months of March to October, when the weather is characterized by smooth seas or almost zero wind velocity. Jeremias assured that sightings of dolphins during this period are almost always guaranteed. He noted that sightings are reportedly following a pattern a day before, during and after the first quarter, last quarter, full moon and new moon. For the rest of the year, though, when it is windy and the water is rough due to the Northeast monsoon or Amihan, cruising and spotting for these animals is difficult.





After the dolphin/whale watch, it was Jeremias’ turn to delight us with his acrobatic stunts and swimming skills.





First, he brought us to the breathtaking White Sandbar, a 7-kilometer stretch of white sand in the middle of North Bais Bay. This shallow area which surfaces during low tide is ideal for picnicking and swimming. Standing on one side of the sandbar are a few cottages-on-stilts where picnickers can have their lunch or snacks. Since all were occupied during our visit, we decided to take our lunch at the boat. It was a feast of barbeque and seafood. We were also treated to a special dessert, Budbud Kabug (Glutinous Millet), a popular delicacy of the province which is eaten together with cocoa or hot chocolate and ripe mangoes.





Of course, we didn’t pass this rare chance to swim at the magnificent paradise in the middle of the ocean. For me, there’s simply no other adjective to describe its beauty.





Bais City known as the Sugar City in Negros Oriental, has become famous for its Dolphin and Whale Watching Tours. Aside from the incredibly cheap package that the office of Bais Mayor Hector Villanueva has arranged, dolphin and whale enthusiasts are also taken cared of and handled properly by a well-trained tour guide. The itinerary for this tour is similar to ours. In addition, tourists have the option to snorkel and dive at the nearby reefs of the White Sandbar and hike along the Talabong mangrove forest. The tourism office of the mayor which is handling this tour, has motorized bancas for the dolphin/whale watch. The tour package inclusive of lunch costs P2,500 for a group of 15 persons and P3,000 for 20 persons.





During our stay in Bais, we were billeted at one of the oldest and most popular hotels in the place, the Bahia de Bais. Although there are a few hotels and several lodging houses which offer room or bed space for guests, Mayor Villanueva still thinks they need to build more hotels and tourist inns to cater to the growing number of tourists that flock to the area especially during summer.





Bais City is one of the four component cities of Negros Oriental which include Canlaon, Bayawan, Tanjay and Dumaguete, its capital. Bais is bounded on the north by the municipality of Mabinay; on the south by the city of Tanjay; on the northeast by the town of Manjuyod; and on the west by the city of Bayawan. It is accessible by an hour land trip from Dumaguete City.





The 70,000-hectare city is composed of 35 barangays, of which 13 are coastal and 22 hinterland. Only 19 percent of its total population of 67,000 live in urban areas while the remaining 81 percent reside in the rural areas.





Mayor Villanueva told us that the economy of Bais is agri-based, with sugar and coconut as the dominant crops. Two sugar
 

Indonesia Thailand USA Europe Canada Hong Kong Philippines