It’s the crack of dawn and Barangay Tan-Awan in Oslob is at its busiest. Paddle boats sail in from every direction. Languages from all over the world mingle. The scent of bagoong is mixed in the sea breeze. I join the action just in time. Traveling with the Discovery Fleet dive cruise, I get my own space in the sea away from the madding crowd. Gear on, briefed with safety precautions, I tumble backwards into the water. And there she is. At least 25 feet of gray and white buoyant mass. Characterized by a flattened head and a blunt snout over its mouth, this baby whale shark is too consumed lapping up the bagoong cast into the water to even notice that we are face to face. Blue and yellow and yellowback fusiliers trail behind for leftovers. I float by in awe, made aware of my smallness, until a strong current harnessed by a whip of its tail down below snaps me out of it. I swim away to admire from a safe distance.

Tagabucba, M. (2020, February 2). Visayas by fins and snorkels. The Philippine Star, p. D3.