TRAVELSPECIAL
Whale sharks at Lila
If you want to see these psychedelic love bugs , you need to start your night dive just as the sun is setting . Then stake out the acropora coral in the fading light until the elusive fish emerge , ‘ walking ’ around the coral on their outsize pelvic fins . There ’ s a 10-minute window in which to catch this ritual , which culminates in a mating duo rising together and a tiny , triumphant puff of sperm and eggs . You need to use low-powered lights with a red filter , as the amorous dragonets are so sensitive to light .
Great and good
The rich water and currents of the Philippine archipelago support a sizeable population of whale sharks . Rather than hunting them for meat and fins , communities such as the village of Lila , a
90-minute drive from Anda , have begun feeding their sharks . Fishing outriggers take up position just offshore , scooping baitfish and other treats into the water .
Diving or snorkelling with habituated animals is a divisive subject . While some favour a more natural encounter , others point to the conservation value in communities having a vested interest in protecting their megafauna .
In the absence of any evidence suggesting the sharks are being injured or diverted from their normal behaviour , my personal view is such feeds can be a positive experience for both shark and human , as long as they are carefully administered .
We received a final brief on safety and proximity rules , then stepped into the
True clown anemonefish
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All seeing eyes of the mantis shrimp shallows for the 10-minute swim to the site . The first time we tried this dive , we had five sharks swimming up and down , occasionally pausing to have a gulp of fishy water close to the outrigger .
Not for the first time , I was reminded that fish have unique personalities . While some of the sharks maintained a distance from the divers , others were obviously curious , and two were up for some fun . In the past , I had viewed whale sharks as passive grazers of the water column , but these guys were players . Time after time ( and in fragrant disregard of the distancing rules ) they swam directly at the divers , lunging upwards at the last moment to allow a plume of bubbles to break over their underside . An open circuit Jacuzzi .
Perhaps the most surprising behaviour came from a mischievous young male , who couldn ’ t resist chasing one of our divers once he had her in retreat , even mouthing