Surfing Siargao? Swim with Sharks First!: Southern Leyte’s Pintuyan is Your Pitstop to Siargao

By Gregg Yan

PINTUYAN, SOUTHERN LEYTE – “Ready to jump? Always stay three to five meters away from them,” instructs our guide Carlito Mosot, donning a mask and snorkel. The shadow looming beside our boat is a shark – and it’s much bigger than the boat.

Whale sharks or Butanding are the most commonly seen fish in the Philippines – not because they’re found in markets like Tilapia or Bangus – but because they’re printed on the back of the new PHP100 bill (which is my daily allowance from my wife).

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) aren’t whales. They’re the largest of the three known filter-feeding sharks, growing over 50 feet and weighing as much as six adult elephants. Earth’s largest fish, they’re completely harmless – eating only plankton, tiny fish, shrimp and squid.

Pinoys used to hunt and kill them. In the 1990s, over 800 whale sharks were caught and killed each year to supply meat and fin markets in Taiwan and Hongkong (whale shark meat smells like piss, which doesn’t stop the Chinese from eating it). Things changed in 1998, when whale sharks became a protected species in the Philippines.

However, global populations had already declined by over 90%, earning the species an endangered classification from the IUCN, plus national protection courtesy of the Amended Fisheries Code (RA 10654) and Appendix I of CITES.

These harmless giants have since transitioned from mere wildlife to money magnets, generating millions of pesos through ecotourism. Donsol in Southern Luzon remains the country’s traditional hotbed for wild whale shark encounters.

Oslob in Southern Cebu is the cash cow, raking in big bucks and huge crowds through a controversial feeding practice that alters natural shark behavior and keeps sharks in place all year-round.

Pintuyan in Southern Leyte’s Sogod Bay is the newcomer, working quietly to establish itself as an ethical whale shark destination, modeled after Donsol.

Pintuyan’s Whale Sharks

“In the old days, our fishers drove off or even killed whale sharks or Tiki-Tiki because they scared away smaller fish and plowed through our nets,” recalls Pintuyan Mayor Ricarte Estrella. “In 2006, we saw how Donsol was leading the way in terms of sustainable ecotourism. We wanted to emulate their adventure-based system, which doesn’t rely on feeding. We’re still a long way from the commercial scale of Oslob or Donsol, but we’re content to take things slow and give our visitors a simpler, but more ethical experience.”

The financial contrast between the three regions highlights these differing approaches – Oslob in Southern Cebu attracts roughly 500,000 visitors and generates PHP 300 million annually. Though uplifting the local economy, environmentalists heavily criticize its assembly-line system, which feeds the sharks Uyap or sergestid shrimp to encourage them to stay in shallow waters year-round.

“When tourism activities threaten whale sharks and other protected species through conditioning, creating artificial aggregations, disrupting natural feeding and migratory behavior, discouraging movement into deeper waters, or altering the habitats where interactions occur – then these activities cannot be considered good for conservation,” says Dr. AA Yaptinchay of the Marine Wildlife Watch of the Philippines.

Donsol in Sorsogon attracts up to 30,000 visitors and generates around PHP 30 million annually. Backed by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Donsol pioneered sustainable shark tourism and research in the country. “From 2007 to 2025, we documented 784 individual whale sharks,” says WWF’s Jun Narvadez. “We recorded 49 individuals this season, including 28 new sharks – a testament to the continued wealth of Donsol’s waters and the importance of Butanding conservation.”

Pintuyan in Southern Leyte annually welcomes less than 5000 visitors – mostly European divers –

to earn under PHP 3 million annually. “But this is something we hope to build on, since we have lots of unique experiences to offer our guests,” promises Estrella.

For one, Pintuyan sits just an hour away from Surigao, a jumpoff for wayfarers headed to Siargao, one of the world’s most renowned surf spots. Travelers headed to Siargao can first fly to Tacloban, then travel three to four hours south to Pintuyan to dive with whale sharks. Visitors can stay a few days as ferries sail to Surigao daily.

“Aside from diving, we also offer our guests a unique experience in the form of ‘squidding’ or squid fishing,” adds Estrella. “Guests can board a bangka to catch and eat tiny squid at sunset.”

Locally called Buko-Buko, the pygmy squid grow no larger than a finger, glow in the dark and can be eaten raw (careful though, for they can bite like a maya bird with their little Buko-Buko beaks).

“They taste great and we can catch as many as we like every summer,” says local fisher Mario Mateo. “Tourists really love Buko-Buko, but our main attraction is really the whale sharks.”

Taking the Plunge

“Go, go, jump in!” shouts Mosot, back on the boat.

We jump into the water with the hungry giant sharks.

Unlike Oslob where the water carries the lingering scent of dead shrimp, or Donsol where thick plankton blooms limit visibility to a dozen feet, Pintuyan offers clear water. Morning sunrays slice the blue to highlight the spotted constellations on the backs of the sharks, swimming lazily around us.

Pintuyan’s vaunted Tiki-Tiki show no fear – approaching us with a mix of curiosity and indifference.

At around five meters apiece, they’re smaller than the sharks of Donsol, some of which exceed 10 meters in length. Some also exhibit scars and cuts, evidence of accidental hits from boat propellers – but on the whole, they seem happy, healthy and most of all – wild.

For 30 magical minutes, we swim alongside Tiki-Tiki, several rising to the surface to gorge on plankton, which also attracts smaller fish like fusiliers and mackerel. I’ve swam with whale sharks all over the country and this is among the best experiences I’ve had.

For surfers and adventurers heading to Siargao, make Pintuyan your pitstop. Swim with friendly sharks and catch a palmful of tiny squid before battling Cloud Nine’s monster waves.

“Pintuyan has much to offer, from rugged mountains to vibrant coral reefs,” shares Boboi Costas, an ecotourism guru who has been quietly helping communities nationwide discover and market the beauty of their hometowns. “My hope is to see it flourish as a premier marine destination where local communities, the government and the private sector work hand-in-hand to benefit both the people and the environment.”

Pintuyan’s commitment to wild, unfed encounters rightfully deserves international recognition. If its people can balance economic growth with global ethical standards, then it might not just become a top whale shark hotspot – but an example of what ethical shark tourism can be.

Author Gregg Yan is an adventurer and explorer based in the Philippines.