Whale Shark Rides !

[DonCebu]

I figured this would wind up a lot of people by posting his picture I found on Facebook.

Seems like the local fisherman are not making enough from the tours.... they are now allowing rides on the Whale Sharks !


"Only in the Philippine" was a better tourism slogan than "More Fun in the Philippines" !
​

 

[Oldbear]

What a sad message this sends to those young children. It would not be surprising that in a few days this whale shark dies from an agonizing death called Capture Myopathy. Capture Myopathy (CM) is a metabolic muscle disease described in wild mammals associated with stress of capture, restraint, and transportation. Four clinical syndromes are associated with CM: capture shock, ruptured muscle, ataxic myoglobinuric, and delayed peracute. Activities for "wildlife" that involve long periods of restraint, struggling from unnatural positioning, or lengthy pursuit during capture, are also major factors in the development of CM in wildlife.

:sad:

~ME~

 

[Pao]

Maybe we can start a campaign w/ friends/relatives to boycott Oslob until they can clean up their act!

 

[Quero]

Is the shark tied up by its tail? This makes my heart ache.

 

[DevonDiver]

Viral photo shows problems in 'whale shark tourism'

MANILA, Philippines - Tourists who wish to experience getting up-close and swimming with a whale shark, more locally known as butanding, are reminded of one important rule: never touch or go near the giant species.

But just like any other instructions, this basic rule is rather ignored by those who dare do so.

Take this one as an example. Spreading in Facebook lately is a photo taken from a beach in Oslob, a town in Cebu that is gaining prominence among tourists for its butanding sightings.[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#48565B !important]The picture shows a woman doing a big no-no to a whale shark: more than just simply touching the animal, she's even trying to stand on it.

The photo caption says the woman is practicing water surfing, and she's using the poor whale shark's back as her surfboard.

The Facebook photo has generated a lot of negative feedback from various users, all condemning the woman's treatment to the whale shark.

"A lot of people either don't know or don't care. And that's a problem," stressed Lory Tan, vice president and CEO of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in the Philippines.

Tan said in a phone interview with Rappler that these violations committed by tourists could actually constitute as crime. "It's absolutely wrong. They should be put in jail if they violate the rules. Ignorance is not an excuse," he said.

This case violation is actually not a first in Oslob. Some town residents claim that most of their tourist do not pay attention to the rules, among them:

• no flash when taking photos of the whales
• no touching the whale sharks
• no riding on the animals

Management problem

But more than the tourists, Tan claims that the problem also lies on the people that manages the spot and implement the rules.

There's another photo posted in Facebook which shows a butanding being touched by a big crowd of swimmers almost near the shore of the same town. It also garnered negative feedback from other Facebook users

WWF has taught local fishermen in places like Sorsogon and Davao how to get tourists close to whale sharks and how to become tour operators. This includes providing the fishermen rules that they have to make their visitors observe.

Among the rules are:

• do not touch or ride the whale shark
• do not restrict the movement of the whale shark, or impede its natural path
• maintain a distance of 3 meters from the head or body of the whale shark, and 4 meters from its tail
• do not use flash photography
• a maximum of 6 swimmers per whale shark is allowed, and only 1 boat per whale shark.

Tan said they were never invited to Oslob to promote these for the town's growing industry. "If we're not invited, we don't force ourselves in going there," Tan said.

He claimed it was the town that wishes to implement its own rules, without the guidance of WWF, hence the violations captured in the photographs.

"Some places do everything they can to improve themselves. And some places just like to think they have exemptions," he said. - Rappler.com

 

[Pao]

This is another photo clearly showing a rope tied to the shark's tail.

 

[Quero]

Horrible. The animal looks to be a young one as well, by the size.

 

[DonCebu]

New Amended Ordinance without proper Public Hearing, cause that is how it is done in the Philippines.

 

[DonCebu]

 

[Bratface]

Very sad. The happiness of the girl standing on the young whale shark's back may cost the poor shark his life.