Manta Rays – the name alone conjures up images of graceful underwater acrobatic creatures soaring along sheer walls or hovering over shallow cleaning stations.  These spectacular giants are so popular with divers and snorkelers that a single animal can 'earn' more than $1 million over its lifetime for local eco-tourism.

Despite the massive popularity and lucrative tourism value of mantas, these graceful and gentle giants are rapidly disappearing due to extreme fishing pressure.  Much like sharks are mutilated for their fins and rhinos for their horns, rays are mutilated for their gill rakers, which are used by practitioners of Chinese medicine as an unproven “health” tonic.

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Tubbataha Reefs the Philippines' World Heritage Site now appears on the new 1000 peso bill.  Other tourist destinations and iconic wildlife are also featured on other denominations.  There is a lot of web talk about the apparent error in defining the area of the marine park but overall the new bank notes have been well received because of the redesign, bright colors and upgraded security features.  Also of interest to divers are the whale sharks of Donsol and Mayon Volcano in the Bicol Region printed on the 100 peso note.

 (SAMPLE ITINERARY)

February 6-7, 2010, two days swimming with butandings (whale sharks).

Package includes overnight airconditioned accommodations at a beach resort, breakfast, whale shark interaction registration fee, firefly river night tour and Legaspi Airport transfers. Total package is only Php 9500 (Philippine Peso).

Itinerary:
Day 1
Arrive Legaspi airport in the morning
Transfer to Donsol resort
Registration, check-in, lunch
Whale shark interaction (afternoon)
Dinner
Firefly river tour

Day 2
Breakfast
Whale shark interaction (morning)
Lunch
Airport transfer in the afternoon, flight back to Manila

There is an option to add one or two days to the schedule to allow for scuba dives at Ticao for the manta rays.   It is also possible to include dives and wakeboarding days in Camarines Sur.

The whale shark watching season at Sorsogon Bay is from January until July.

E-mail :  freedomdivetours@gmail.com to see the whale sharks.