The requested resource is not found. Donsol is politically subdivided into 51 barangays. The majority of the population speak Eastern Miraya, bicol express without shrimp paste Albay Bikol language of Inland Bikol group of languages. The language is also spoken in four towns of Albay and some parts of Pilar and Castilla, Sorsogon.
It is mutually intelligible with Western Miraya. People of Donsol can also speak and understand Tagalog or Filipino, the national language, and English. The majority of the people adhere to Catholicism and each barangay has a patron saint and fiestas are held annually. Iglesia ni Cristo is the second largest religion of the population and has several local congregations in the municipality.
This section does not cite any sources. Swimming with whale sharks, locally known as butanding, was featured as the Best Animal Encounter in Asia by Time magazine in 2004. Whale sharks can be seen between November and June, with presence peaking between February and May. The presence of whale sharks in the town of Donsol was known to the local residents for more than 100 years, but the locals believed these gentle giants were dangerous. PADI diving instructor, discovered their presence, interacted with, and came in contact with the whale sharks.
WWF guidelines are generally observed to protect the sharks. Rules include limiting the number of swimmers per boat to six, prohibiting scuba divers, and requiring staying farther than three meters from the sharks. In recent years the number of male sharks have out-numbered female sharks by 20:1. Increasing numbers of sharks show propeller marks on their backs. In 2006 five sharks were found dead on the surface of the water, within 30 miles of Donsol. They had all been shot at close range. One shark had 13 bullet wounds to the head.
The locals blame this on commercial fishermen shooting the sharks if they are caught in their nets. Manta rays, which are also protected in the Philippines, are also over-fished and sold in local markets in the Sorsogon area. Groups from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the Philippines make up the largest groups of visitors. Most tourists book guided tours with dive centers familiar with whale shark interaction. Bicolano delicacies are plentiful in Donsol. Bicolano cuisine is well known for dishes cooked in “gata” or coconut cream. A famous dish to try is “laing” or “gabi”, which is dried taro leaves cooked in coconut cream with cuts of meat or fish.
Tourism continues to develop piecemeal in Donsol. The first hotel in the area is the Amor Farm Beach Resort, established in 1997, followed by the Woodland Beach Resort in 1998 that started off as a family vacation house. Interest to visit the quaint and quiet town grew as soon as news of whale shark sightings grew amongst the international marine biologist community. Most establishments accept only cash, but there is an ATM in Donsol located inside the Municipal Town Hall. There now are several resorts that accept credit cards.