In Albay town, dolphins steal limelight

DOLPHINS swim in the coastal waters off Sto. Domingo town, Albay province. KRIS ORBETA/CONTRIBUTOR

STO. DOMINGO, Albay—A pod of dolphins has become this town’s latest attraction.

Tourists have started flocking here to see the gentle marine mammals.

Erwin Gregorio, municipal tourism officer, said the dolphins, which could be seen about 2 kilometers from the shoreline, had turned the coastal waters into their playground, swimming, jumping into the air and even twisting.

Gregorio said officials had yet to count the total number of dolphins but these could be over a hundred, measuring from 6 to 8 meters long, and practically swarming the municipal waters off Barangays Pandayan and Alimsog.

He said up to 50 visitors arrived daily in the town to interact with and watch the dolphins.

He said fishermen and boat operators had also been making money out of the new tourism attraction, collecting P500 for every person taking boat rides for closer interaction with the dolphins.

The municipal government, on orders of Sto. Domingo Mayor Herbie Aguas, has imposed restrictions for interaction activities, such as prohibiting the feeding of dolphins and swimming with them.

Aquas attributed the presence of the mammals to the abundance of round scad, or “galunggong,” in the area, which serve as the dolphins’ food.

“This is the prize for our proper marine management. Fish abound in the area because blast fishing has been stopped for a very long period of time now,” Aguas said.

He said fishermen and nongovernment organizations were active in the conservation of corals.

The municipal government has established a fish sanctuary and has built an artificial coral reef to serve as haven for sea creatures.

The town’s Bantay Dagat, or sea watch group, has also been active in arresting illegal fishermen coming from neighboring towns, Aguas added.

Patricia Zantua and Kris Orbeta, tourists from Legazpi City and Guinobatan town in Albay, said in an interview here that they were amazed at the presence of dolphins, as these mammals could hardly be seen this close to shore.

They said they would find time to return to Sto. Domingo just to interact with the dolphins.