Bulusan Bay Whale Shark Zone
Donsol · Philippines
Bulusan Bay is the primary aggregation site for Donsol's legendary whale shark population, where nutrient-rich upwellings draw hundreds of whale sharks to feed on dense plankton blooms each season. Snorkelers and freedivers drift alongside the largest fish on earth in water so thick with life that encounters are nearly guaranteed from December through May. The bay's shallow depths and calm conditions make it accessible to all experience levels, and the experience of floating beside a 10-meter whale shark is genuinely life-altering.
Conditions
Depth
3 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
10 to 25 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Philippine Trogon
Last confirmed Apr 28, 2024 · 8 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Spotted Kingfisher
Last confirmed Apr 28, 2024 · 6 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Scale-Feathered Malkoha
Last confirmed Apr 28, 2024 · 9 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Luzon Boobook
Last confirmed Jan 4, 2024 · 6 records
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Black-Naped Oriole
Last confirmed Dec 26, 2025 · 1 records
Rare
Now and then
Manta Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Butanding (Whale Shark)
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear