National Geographic on the Oslob shark tourism: 'Are these sharks primarily narcissistic props?'

Oslob town in Cebu has been called the "Home of the Whale Shark Selfie" by the National Geographic.

The town's booming whale shark tourism, however, implements questionable and even controversial operation.

"Since it began in 2011, Oslob’s whale shark-watching operation has become the "largest such venture in the world. But the operation is controversial, because whale sharks don’t naturally gather here, unlike other such sites in the country. The Oslob sharks are hand-fed, and this essentially guarantees they will show up to thrill guests, who can snap close-range photos," National Geographic's Kennedy Warne wrote in his article on their website.

Shark "watching" uses baiting to lure whale sharks near the area where tourists gather for the entertainment with certain rules that need to be followed.

"Oslob’s day begins at six in the morning, when the first tourist arrivals listen to a short briefing—no touching, no riding, no flash photography, and keep at least six feet away from the sharks at all times. Visitors don masks, snorkels, and life jackets and board outrigger boats to see the sharks. In the “interaction area,” about 150 feet from shore, the boats line up and the show begins. Feeders in small, one-person outrigger canoes dish out handfuls of thawed shrimp to the waiting sharks, many of which time their arrival to within a few minutes of feeding."

The article said shark viewing has benefited the tourism industry and the local economy, and with many tourists coming to see the popular attraction, Oslob coastline is alive at night with hostels and resorts.

"The giant beasts also benefit from the local economy. At night, the Oslob coastline twinkles with the lights of more than 50 hostels, resorts and guesthouses, as well as local homes. “The whale sharks brought the lights,” one resident told me. Who would imagine that prosperity could come to Oslob by something as simple as throwing handfuls of shrimp into the mouths of passing sharks?" he wrote.

He also noted how feeding sharks has caused less pressure on declining fish stocks.

"Another likely upside: A reduction in fishing pressure around Oslob. The 170 or so members of the local fishermen’s association, who feed the sharks and ferry the guests, no longer need to catch fish for food from increasingly depleted reefs. Likewise, fishers nearby can earn a living supplying the several hundred pounds of shrimp needed for each day’s shark food, thus placing less pressure on declining fish stocks," he said.

Despite its upsides, scientists are worried about the prolonged effects of feeding these creatures, physiologically and behaviorally.

"While research has begun, conducted for example by the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines, basic questions about the influence of this feeding remain unanswered. The shrimp they’re fed is a less diverse mix of planktonic creatures than what they would consume naturally. It’s not junk food, but neither is it necessarily a healthy diet," the article read.

With whale sharks associating boats with free food, it could lead them to danger and have the possibility of them approaching shark-fishing vessels, according to the article.

"Whale sharks associate boats with free food, and that connection could lead them into danger elsewhere. Almost half of the whale sharks studied at Oslob have propeller cuts on their bodies, which must have happened elsewhere, since the operation uses only hand-paddled vessels," the article read.

"These animals may also be more likely to one day approach a shark-fishing vessel. Whale sharks have been nationally protected in the Philippines since 1998, but poaching persists here, and elsewhere in the animal’s huge ranges, where they may not necessarily be legally protected," the article said.

While it's identified as "watching," the article noted how most tourists rarely do just that. Instead, they have their photo taken with the whale sharks as their backdrops.

"It’s called “watching,” but there’s just as much “posing.” It’s a strange sight: A line of tourists in the water hold on to the boat’s outrigger. Their backs face the sharks while they mug for the cellphones being clicked by the boat operator. The beasts are the backdrop," he said.

Even with the warning that they can go to jail if they come into contact with the creatures, the article stated that research showed that 95 percent of the swimmers break the rules.

"Guests are told they can go to jail if they touch or get too close to the sharks, but researchers have found that more than 95 percent of swimmers break the rules—often inadvertently. It’s a melee out there, and contact happens," it said.

Warne had one question to tourists who pay just to get a shot with the whale shark—do they see some "intrinsic worth" in whale shark's existence or do they just look at them as "narcissistic props?"

"For every grinning Oslob tourist snapping a photo with a shark, could there be another who looks into the eye of that great spotted giant and sees something of immense intrinsic worth, whose existence must be protected? Or are these sharks primarily narcissistic props?"

The article stated that a recent study showed how tourists consider the Oslob whale shark operation "ethically problematic" but still participate with it.

A recent study of how tourists perceive the Oslob whale shark operation found that many visitors recognize that feeding an endangered species for tourism purposes is ethically problematic—if not morally wrong—but participate anyway. Some researchers describe this type of justification as a “guilty pleasure.” —Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/BAP/KG, GMA News