DOLPHIN watching at the Tañon Strait will soon be the newest attraction in Aloguinsan town in the western part of Cebu.
The Bojo Aloguinsan Ecotourism Association (Baetas) is preparing to launch this in addition to a river cruise within 2023, according to Jomelyn Delos Reyes, the association’s president, in an interview with SunStar Cebu on Sunday, June 11.
Baetas member Erlinda Jimenez said in a separate interview that they have observed dolphins near the mouth of the Bojo River. After months of studying the pod’s habits, they have identified an area where the dolphins naturally feed.
“There is an area off the coast of Hermit’s Cove where the dolphins appear around 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. daily during good weather,” said Jimenez in Cebuano.
Delos Reyes emphasized that dolphin watching will not involve feeding or swimming with the dolphins.
“We will prohibit feeding or swimming because we want to protect the dolphins here,” she said in Cebuano.
Dolphin watching will be included in the price of the river cruise.
Tourism
Mayor Cesare Ignatius Moreno told SunStar Cebu during the second day of the Suroy-Suroy Sugbo Midwest that the Municipal Government is increasing its efforts to boost tourism in the area.
“Our strength is tourism. So, we have prepared the people of Aloguinsan because if we have many tourists, there will be plenty of job opportunities,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
One of the challenges for the area is to balance eco-sustainable tourism with mass tourism, according to Vice Mayor Riza Moreno-Borgonia.
The town has limited the number of tourists visiting tourist sites to mitigate negative environmental impact.
“In Hermit Cove, we only allow overnight tourists starting at 5 p.m., so during the daytime, the beach will not be overcrowded,” said the vice mayor.
Moreno-Borgonia said they are seeking help from experts to develop export products and tourism efforts to ensure the community achieves sustainable livelihood.
Bojo River
Meanwhile, Baetas reported that the number of tourists availing themselves of river cruises has grown in recent months.
They now cater to 100 to 200 daily visitors, and more during peak seasons.
The association hopes that more tourists will visit so they can afford to rehabilitate the boardwalk along the river, which became dilapidated during the pandemic and was damaged by typhoon Odette on Dec. 16, 2021.
The boardwalk used to be an area for bird watching and other activities.