TRAVELSPECIAL
Whale shark madness at Oslob
grouper here , a jackfish there – but for the most part it was freedivers harrying the fish , dropping down like gannets .
At times the school would separate , then coalesce a little further along the reef . There were stragglers , quite a few mini-schools and weird individuals on a ‘ time-out ’. On several occasions the school turned into a silver waterfall , with separate columns of sardines tumbling away from the central mass . Definitely one for the logbook .
Seeing spots at Oslob
How do you top a school of fish the size of a church ? My final treat would see the Magic Island minibus pressed into action to take us around the picturesque southern coast of the island to a village that decided to embrace shark tourism . Oslob is home to a whale shark aggregation that has been ‘ enhanced ’ by regularly feeding the sharks a type of krill-like shrimp that they find irresistible , even in relatively small amounts . The villagers have set up a number of small outrigger boats as feeding stations , while larger vessels take the punters or divers to set points for their scheduled one hour snorkel .
So here ’ s the question ... is the Oslob model a seaside circus that demeans nature by bringing whale sharks to the masses ? Or a means of bringing about conservation by making money from megafauna ? It ’ s down to the individual , and I think it ’ s an aesthetic choice rather than a scientific one . Some people
Jamie enters Pescador ’ s skull cave
Spiralling sardines want their whale shark experience to be a wonderful surprise in a truly wild setting ; others just want to see a whale shark , and these ones are guaranteed .
As long as there is no demonstrable risk to the animals ’ welfare , I personally believe the Oslob model can be a positive force . My thinking is rooted in realpolitik – the sharks now have a greater value alive than dead . In one generation , shark hunters have turned to shark guardians . This is either the great good , or the lesser of evils .
As for the experience , it ’ s quite a show . We had an hour of scuba diving , then an hour of snorkelling ; the diving was fun ,
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