Philippines Proposes Time Limit for Whale Shark Watching

The practice of dozens of snorkelers and tourists jumping in the water with the world’s largest fish in the Philippines has drawn significant attention in the last year and local legislators are now considering tightening regulations.

In Cebu, The Whale Shark Watchers Organization and other local groups have proposed a 30-minute limit for tourists spending time with whale sharks in water. Ethics of the tourist activity has come under scrutiny and local officials will now have to debate weather the benefits of exposing humans to the wonders of the ocean world is worth the possibility of stressing the sharks.