CSI (Cetaceans Swimming Indefinitely) : Bais City

After our Subic Ocean Adventure and Hongkong Ocean Park visits, the thrill of being with a dolphin up close and personal has made me want to see them in the wild and observe how they really are without trainers, cages and crowds.

Dateline: Dumaguete

Luckily, two things came together at the right time: us finding a website about Cetacean (the general term for dolphins and whales) watching in Dumaguete (Go Dumaguete- a most excellent and informative website) and a seat sale at Cebu Pacific.

Getting Started:
If you plan on going to Bais City for this particular activity, try to book your plane tickets a month ahead. The reason behind it is that you'll have to also book in advance, at the tourism office, a boat and crew to take you to your destination, especially during the peak season (May).

Bais Bay-Tanon Strait is bordered by Cebu and Negros Oriental making you neither here nor there

May and September are the ideal months to go as the waters are calmer. May is even better because certain migratory species of dolphins and whales make a trip to the Bais Bay-Tanon Strait area, where all the "sightings" take place.

With the crew of Dolphin II at the Tourism Office at the Capinyahan Wharf

Another advantage of booking ahead is that the trip may be a bit cheaper, as opposed to going through a travel agency that would normally charge you 3700 php/person for this day tour. The boat we rented was the Dolphin II and it can accommodate 15 people. This is the smaller boat. Total cost for renting it out is 3015 php. (call the Bais Tourism Office at these numbers: 63 (35)  402-8174, 63 (35) 402-8040 and 63 (35) 402-8180.) You may also ask them for recommendations on other boats for rent should you run out of tourism boats during the peak season. 

First mate MAX inpects the Starrboard (right side  of the boat) before we set sail

The payment covers the boat and crew expenses, a trip to the Tanon Strait for Cetacean watching, a lunch break at the Manjuyod Sandbar (you could go to the Bais local market to buy fresh food and the crew will be happy to cook your lunch for you), and a visit at the Talabong Mangrove Park. You can also ask the crew to take you to some nearby great snorkeling sites. Personally, the Manjuyod Sandbar's a perfect place to go swimming.

Cendy our tour guide, Phee and one of Dolphin II's crew at the deck of the boat. This is also the dining area

You also have a tour guide assigned to the boat who will give you a short lecture on the do's and don'ts of dealing with dolphins in the wild as well as giving you a brief overview of the kinds of sea creatures you may encounter. (don't feed em, don't touch em rule).

Setting sail, with the wind in MAX's face

We were not asked to deposit cash in advance for the rental but was instead asked to settle the bill on the day itself. Of course in May, they might have to, just to make sure you're serious on renting the boat.

Getting there:
While public transportation is available (bus, multicab and jeepneys), we opted to rent a van through the resort we were staying at (Seaforest Resort and Restaurant). The van costs around 2400 php roundtrip (Capinyahan Wharf-our resort, Sea Forest Resort) and anything over 8 hours would cost 200 php an hour. (Still cheaper than the 3700/pax).

all geared up for some serious swimming

The dolphin watching experience starts at 7am, and with us staying two towns away, the need for transportation at 5 am was a must. Plus, we had to pass by the Bais market to buy our supplies for the day, and commuting left and right would not have been a walk in the park, as we had our toddler with us.

Bluer than blue...

Why so early?:
Cetaceans are playful creatures. They often like to go out and feed and or play when the water is cool. From the wharf, it takes about another hour to get to the place where the dolphins hang. Once the sun is high in the sky, the dolphins go back to where it is that they stay, to rest. That gives you about an hour or two to see them in action.

saying goodbye to the dolphins after seeing them play for almost 2 hours

Market? What for?:
Once you head out to sea, there will not be a store for miles around. If you prefer to bring a packed lunch, you may do so, but nothing beats a freshly cooked meal. We picked up two kilos of pork (for grilling), around 3 kilos of rice, and a bunch of bananas for dessert. We also stocked up on water and soda. This was more than enough for me, Phil, MAX and the 4 other people that made up the boat's crew. I also brought some chips, ice and coal. The boat's cooler was quite sufficient in storing the drinks and fresh meat and the boat has all the basic condiments on board.

safety first!

About the Boat and it's Crew:
If you weren't able to make boat reservations, there are privately owned boats at the wharf that one may rent. Not sure about the cost though. The Tourism Office owned boats on the other hand are manned by licensed professionals that are both competent, courteous and knowledgeable. Life vests are available and the boats are big enough to have it's own bathroom, a kitchen of sorts and a dining area.

a pod of wild dolphins

The Experience:
Upon spotting a pod of dolphins, the boat's captain steered us towards the spot. There, we happily followed the fast moving dolphins. The first ones we saw were the Spinner dolphins, a species aptly named based on their leaping and spinning out of the water, just like those trained dolphins. Swimming alongside our boat were spotted dolphins that are characterized by the light spots that decorate their sides and underbelly. We saw several fast moving pods that morning.

MAX lets out a loud WOW! as we see the wild dolphins for the first time

A point and shoot may be too slow. May I recommend that you use video instead or have one of you use a camera with a wide angled lens. After a few attempts at taking their pictures, I gave up and enjoyed the view instead. Luckily, Phee was there to take decent shots of the animals leaping out of the water. I was seriously in awe of those mammals. It felt good to know that the Bais Bay-Tanon Strait was a protected area that would ensure that no harm would come to these beloved sea animals.

part of the 5 hectare Talabong Mangrove Park at low tide

We had to forego the mangrove forest experience as it was low tide. Boats may not be able to go inside the mangrove forest that has bamboo boardwalks that would allow people to walk through it, towards the actual park.

not exactly dressed to swim, yet here I am  in the water

When the dolphins started to leave, we decided to proceed to the Manjuyod Sandbar. At low tide, the now much wider expanse of white sand and clear water was just enough for me to change my mind about swimming in the afternoon sun (despite the 100 spf sunblock applied, I have my Jersey Shore-ish (so fake looking) tan to prove it).

the crew securely anchors the boat to the sandbar

The sandbar has shallow spots to swim at, but watch out for the sudden dip of the coastline, as it can get pretty deep in some parts even though it's pretty close to shore.

one of the many starfishes in the area

We saw starfishes dotting the area and some variety of seaweed.

those little silver things are actually inch long fishes

Small fishes would swim in schools as well, not to mention the varying shades of blues and greens that would describe the waters of the area, making it even more  magical. The sandbar has 3 native cottages on stilts that may be rented overnight, should your group want to enjoy the sandbar even longer (the tour boats normally stay till 3 pm to avoid choppy waters that come with the shifting of the tides).

our first glimpse of the Manjuyod Sandbar. Here's one of the 3 cottages for rent

After getting our fill of the food (the boat crew did a fab job on the grill), we decided to head on out, even though it was still a little past noon. We had just arrived in Dumaguete the day before and the early morning trip to catch the boat was a tad tiring for me and my sleep deprived family (plus the fact that I ate something the day before that did not agree with my stomach). For those who would want to stay longer for a siesta, snorkeling and more swimming, stay on. This place is soooo worth it.

MAX in the clear waters surrounding the sandbar

I would love to go back to this place and re-experience seeing the dolphins out in the wild, minus a stomach problem. Out of 23 Cetacean species found in the Philippines, 9 have been spotted in this area, making it the ideal spot to see Flipper in action.

dolphins swimming alongside our boat

Seeing Mother Nature at it's finest makes one appreciate and realize just how fleeting this experience could be if man would not learn to co-exist and help preserve God's creations. Admittedly, I was moved to tears with joy upon seeing one pod after another. Totally amazing!

Best Day EVER!!!

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!

walking towards our boat