I’m not an animal person. Dogs and cats amuse me from afar — anything coated with fur, actually. But I don’t like going anywhere near them because fur triggers my asthma.
So instead of a “favorite” animal, I’ll write about the most amazing animal I’ve ever encountered: whale sharks.
In the Philippines we call them butanding. I swam with them off the coast of a small town called Oslob, on the southern tip of the central Philippine island of Cebu. These are huge yet gentle sharks that eat krill and seaweeds. They are about as large as a big truck, and the first time I saw them (just a few meters away), I was terrified.
The most unforgettable impression I had of them, though, was how fish-y they actually are. I could not only smell and taste their fishiness (lansa), but actually feel it in my skin, like some unpleasant electric current crawling across my body. This happened when one of these gentle giants surprised me by swimming from behind me. I was stunned.
If you’re around Cebu and want to have a memorable encounter with a marine giant, go to Oslob and meet the butandings.
Image created with Canva Magic Media
Daryl Zamora 
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