Whale Sharks in the Philippines

A former fisherman, now a whale shark guide, hand feeds a whale shark as a tourist takes an underwater photo, Tan-awan, Oslob Cebu.

Unique identifier: GP0STOHUC

Type: Image

Shoot date: 23/03/2012

Locations: Cebu, Philippines, Southeast Asia

Credit line: © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

Ranking: ★★★★★★★ (A)

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Whale Sharks Feeding in the Philippines

Juvenile whale shark in Oslob, Cebu being hand fed shrimp locally known as Uyabang that is transported from hundreds of kilometers away. The previous known food for the whale sharks called Uyap (Sergestid shrimps) has been locally depleted due to the collection for feeding the sharks for tourism. This is now a major income earner for the local community, with fishermen and their families shifting to tourism as each day hundreds of tourists come out in paddle boats, snorkel or scuba dive with these animals. Whale sharks are a highly migratory species, travelling thousands of kilometers each year to feed and breed. Tampering with this migration pattern behaviour have unknown effects on this species.

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