
Dolphin Watching
For decades, dolphins and whales that breed in Bohol Sea are hunted down to extinction by locals. Thankfully an innovative program was introduced to get the same hunters to make their living is by using the same skills for hunting and spot these beautiful creatures for tourists to enjoy watching nearby. These gentle giants are known to be spotted either at Panglao Island or Pamilacan Island, but can also be spotted everywhere else in Bohol Sea. That is where the ex-hunters come to play; they will gear the bancas where all these beautiful creatures will be. The expedition starts in the morning after breakfast and head out to Alona beach where a boat will be waiting. Spotters can just look at splashes on the water and they can tell that dolphins are there feeding, a sight that normal tourists would not automatically see. And within few minutes as the boat gears toward the area, pods and pods of long-snouted spinner dolphins would appear splashing and playing. Most of them are used to these tour bancas and they actually swim near or do acrobatic entertainments for the tourists.
Dolphin watching is an exciting experience for tourists and it is important to know that a century old dolphin and whale hunting tradition has been abandoned for the sake of these beautiful sea beings; and that the same hunters become the stewards of the sea.