7 wild dates in the Philippines

Wed, 03/14/2012 - 09:38 — Anonymous by Maida PinedaHow many spectacular
wildlife encounters can you claim? A glimpse of an orangutan? Snorkeling with
baracuda? Head to the Philippines and your number will almost certainly
increase. With an estimated 6,000 plant species, 1,100 land vertebrate
species, 100 mammal species and 170 land species that are exclusive to the
Philippines, if it's a date with nature you're looking for, this is one
biodiversity hotspot that won't fail to impress. 1. Befriend a butanding Big
may not be best, but it is beautiful.Go big on animal love with these huge
blue-grey, silver-spotted whale sharks locally called butandings. These
plankton-eating gentle giants -- the largest fish in the world -- measure
about 14 meters and weigh more than 1,500 kilograms. Whale sharks are
regularly spotted in Donsol, Sorsogon and you can expect to see more than a
dozen during the peak months from February to April. The province's tourism
website provides detailed information on how to arrange a snorkeling date
with the butandings in Donsol. Recently, the town of Olsob in the southern
tip of Cebu made international news when its fishermen were discovered to
hand feed and play with the very sociable whale sharks there.read more