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Monday 23 July 2012

B is for Butanding

Last time, I  gave you a brief introduction of  the state of West Virginia..  This time, I'll  bring you  to the place where I was born in the Philippines, the Bicol Region.  It is located in the southernmost tip of Luzon Island.   The region is bounded by Lamon Bay to the north, Pacific Ocean to the east, and Sibuyan Sea and Ragay Gulf to the west. The northernmost province, Camarines Norte, is bordered to the north by the province of Quezon, thereby connecting the region to the rest of Luzon.


Bicol Region is volcanic in origin and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Known as the Bicol Volcanic Arc or Chain, the volcanoes are the results of the Philippine Sea Plate sub-ducting under the Philippine Mobile Belt, along the Philippine Trench.  In the small town of Donsol is where I came from, the place where you can find  a bunch of whale shark or locally known as  Butanding. According to my source, Butanding is the biggest fish in the world. In 2004, Time magazine has ranked interacting with those gentle giants as "The Best Animal Encounter in Asia".  So if you are going to  the Philippines for a vacation, try to  swim with the Butanding, it's fun and one of a kind experience that you could have.
Alrighty, before you get bored, buckle up and get ready with the bumpy but exciting  ride we are about to take and see from the different  letter B contribution  of the ABC participants around the  world.  (source of info and photo: wikepedia and dsc.discovery.com)

Stop by at my blog when you get a chance.

Rose

43 comments:

  1. Great blog, I really liked it!
    I'll follow you.
    Cheer from Argentina.
    HD

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  2. Nice to know that you are from Bicol too! I am from Camarines Norte:)

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    1. aha, how cool to meet a fellow Bicolana through ABC Wednesday, Hooray!

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  3. Beautiful place and interesting post. Great introduction to the letter B.

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  4. Great "B" meme ...is swimming with butanding safe? (It looks cool and beautiful).

    Thanks for hosting and have a great week.

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    1. Hi Meryl, it's safe to swim with the Butanding. they are gentle and very friendly.

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  5. Wow thats some swim, more guts than I do. Richard from the Amish community of Lebanon,pa

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    1. Looking at the sea creature makes you scared because of its size but they are perfectly safe and so gentle to swim with.

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  6. Today I submit an apocryphal story about a real lady who did indeed become famous for not knowing when to stop knitting.

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  7. An incredible fish! It is so huge and those markings are fascinating!

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  8. That whale shark is beautiful but is it not dangerous??

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    1. Nope, they are absolutely gentle and friendly!

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  9. Hello.
    Swimming with giant sharks, even gentle ones, way too adventurous for me! I'll stick to dry land with my Beautiful Friend.
    Have a great week everyone!

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  10. Would love to swim with a butang! Have you? My grandparents hail from Cebu. Great intro for "B". THanks, Rose!

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    1. Oh really Paula, that's great, we have something in common.. Philippines lol. Yep, we did swam with the Butandings when we had our vacation a couple of years ago.

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  11. Wonderful post and fantastic blog hop ~ been meaning to 'get here' ~ finally arrived ~ Thanks for hosting ~ namaste, (A Creative Harbor)

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  12. I love your photo, and the information about a shark I'd not heard of...would adore to be in the water with one! You've got me intrigued now...:)

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    1. Hah, when you go to the Philippines be sure to go to our hometown and you'll experience the fun!

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  13. I showed my husband the photo of the butanding. He's quite an adventurer, and immediately said "Okay, let's go." I'll have to talk to Lynette, who commented above, about going to the Philippines, too.
    K

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    1. Hahaha, that's great Kay! A lot of foreigners really come to our town just to see and swim with the Butandings!

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  14. That's awesome, would really love to see the island at your end.!

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  15. Beautiful, or as Tintin's sea faring friend Captain Haddock would say, "Blistering barnacles!"

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  16. That's one BIG fish! Thanks for hosting.

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  17. Great B's and brilliant picture. That looks faBulous.

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  18. Great shot. Awesome swimming with the Butanding.

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  19. What a handsome fish the Butanding is and what an experience!

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  20. Just learned a new B word! What a beautiful creature!

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    1. Now that you learned the word, you have to go see it hehehe..

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  21. Thanks to the introduction to a very beautiful part of the world. It would be a dream to swim with a Butanding.

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  22. Rose, what a lovely image and story. I had never heard of the Butanding until now... probably because it doesn't, you know, tear humans into bits, nor does it sound edible. The media don't often cover what really matters, right? Sounds like an activity for my Bucket List: Swim with a Butanding. Peace, Amy

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