ESPAÑOL

Donsol is not only famous for the great whale sharks and manta rays in Manta Bowl, other small animals can also be observed here better than in most places in the world. Fireflies sightings are a popular activity in several areas of the Philippines, to highlight Donsol, Palawan and Bohol. They can be an entertaining excursion to add to those of the big fish, or a small way to compensate for the disappointment of not having seen, or not having seen properly, the previous animals if the case occurred, as it happened to us.

PRACTICAL DATA

• Fireflies like mangroves; they are concentrated in the trees at the margins of two rivers, the river that separates Donsol from Dancalan area and Ogod river. We went to Donsol river.
• It costs PHP 1200 per boat, with a maximum of 4 or 5 people; It is paid in the building immediately on the east side of the bridge. We will be in a group with other tourists. Generally the guides are friendly and give explanations about these insects.
• There are not too many boats and the tour lasts about an hour, so we might have to wait a long time. We arrived at 5:30 pm (nightfall at 6 pm) and waited half an hour. It is also not advisable to arrive earlier, since it should be completely dark in order to see them better.

THE FIREFLIES

Depending on wild fauna, the show can vary from seeing four small luminous points to whole trees lit by these moving insects, but most likely we will see more than enough to consider it a beautiful experience. Some people have been fortunate to see thousands of them at once and describe it as a real wonder. Those who wish to get good photos will have to do their best and have a first-class photo equipment to compensate for the slow movement of both insects and our boat, and not be allowed to use the flash. Videos are a better option; almost any camera will capture the lights dancing in continuous flicker even if they are at a distance. It is a calm and comforting experience, and highly recommended regardless of whether we have been able to see the sharks or not.

MORE ON DONSOL:

<SWIM WITH WHALE SHARKS

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION: WHEN TO GO, TRANSPORT, ACCOMMODATION, WHERE TO EAT AND DANGERS>

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