Humans of Typhoon Odette - Andy Leonor
“We lost our livelihoods again because of Super Typhoon Odette. Nawalan kami ng hanapbuhay dahil kay Odette. I used to work in tourism here in Puerto Princesa but my job was affected by the pandemic. I looked for an alternative source to be able to survive, but then the typhoon came. It has been really difficult. I don’t know what to do anymore. So na Nahihirapan na ako. Hindi ko na alam kung anong gagawin ko. I don’t know how to start over.”
Read MoreExperience True Exploration - LAMAVE Partners with the Philippine Siren
LAMAVE and the elegant Philippine Siren team up once again to bring divers right to the heart of conservation and exploration.
Read MoreBagong-silang na butanding na natagpuan sa Donsol nagpapahiwatig ng kahalagahan ng Ticao-Burias Pass
Pilipinas, Nobyembre, 2020. Mayroong bagong pag-aaral ang Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) at ang Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources-Region 5 (BFAR-Region 5) tungkol sa kahalagahan ng Donsol at Ticao-Burias Pass bilang isang nursery ground para sa mga bagong-silang na butanding, o whale shark, isang endangered species.
Read MoreCollaborative efforts highlight the long-distance movements of whale sharks in the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion
The whale shark is a highly mobile species, broadly distributed, that can cross boundaries without anyone realising. A recent study in the Philippines highlighted the movement of whale sharks between one site in Palawan, and Malaysia and Indonesia. These results also highlighted the utility of the general public in collecting data for research programmes.
Read MoreControlling a whale shark mass tourism destination: new study investigates crowding and tourist expectations
A new scientific study by Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) and the University of Victoria (Canada) reveals that overcrowding is a significant issue for Oslob whale shark watching tours. The study presents management interventions aimed at improving the tourist experience and recommends reducing tourist numbers to 500 daily visitors….
Read MoreLAMAVE’s position on emerging whale shark tourism in Bohol
Whale shark tourism activities have emerged from Lila and Baclayon, Bohol where whale sharks are or were provisioned to facilitate tourism interactions. In line with the Philippines commitment to lead and promote sustainable tourism across South East Asia (UNEP/CMS/CoP12/doc.26.2.7), as well as the Vision and Mission of the Province of Bohol, where the province is an eco-cultural tourism destination committed to sound environmental management, LAMAVE does not support these initiatives.
Read MoreWhale sharks: what science reveals
We round up eight years of LAMAVE’s research on the iconic whale shark. The whale shark – also called butanding, tuki, tiki tiki, tawiki in local dialects - is a national icon of the Philippines. As we reach the end of 2019 and almost 8 years since LAMAVE first started studying whale sharks in the Philippines, we round up what we have learnt about these incredible sharks…
Read MoreWhale sharks on the move in Southeast Asia highlight the need for further collaboration in the conservation of the species
Whale sharks tracked moving between the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. For the first time researchers from Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines have tracked whale sharks moving between the Philippines and Malaysia, and Indonesia, using satellite tags, photo-identification and citizen science…
Read More7 One-of-A-Kind Experiences as a LAMAVE Volunteer
Just like any other volunteering opportunity, signing up with LAMAVE is a great way to contribute your time and skills to something bigger – marine conservation. But joining LAMAVE is unique in itself because it is more of a commitment – you have to be passionate and dedicate at least three months of your life to volunteering with us.
Read MoreVenturing Into The Wider World of International Whale Shark Research
LAMAVE attended the 5th International Whale Shark Conference (IWSC) held last 28-31 May 2019 in the town of Exmouth, WA Australia. Part of the organization’s contingent were LAMAVE researchers Ari Agustines and Tin Legaspi, the first Filipinas to participate in this conference.
Read MoreEcology: Sharks under threat from fisheries
A new study published in Nature, International Journal of Science revealed that around one quarter of the habitats of oceanic sharks fall within active fishing zones, which may threaten these iconic ocean predators. The study spearheaded by David Sims and colleagues, brought together 1500+ satellite tracks globally from 150 scientists, including LAMAVE, and demonstrates an urgent need for conservation efforts to protect pelagic sharks, which reported to be in decline.
Read MorePioneering partnership names its first Ocean Giants Scholars
The University and Ocean Giants Trust have created unique opportunities for marine biology and conservation undergraduates. Students from the University of Plymouth are being given the opportunity to work directly with international marine conservation organisations while completing their studies…
Read MoreLAMAVE touch down in Ningaloo Coast World Heritage Area to attend the 5th International Whale Shark Conference #IWSC5
LAMAVE researchers Gonzalo Araujo, Ariana Agustine, Tin Legaspi and Dr Jackie Ziegler will join the world's leading whale shark scientists, conservationists, natural resource managers and tourism managers at the 5th International Whale Shark Conference hosted between the 28-31 May 2019 in the town of Exmouth, WA Australia.
Read MoreLearning curves, good company and questionable Tagalog pronunciation
I am now nearing the end of my three-month placement in Puerto Princesa and it has flown by! The last ten weeks have been a truly wonderful experience, full of learning curves, good company, questionable Tagalog pronunciation and stunning whale shark encounters. When I told a few people at home what I would be doing next with my life they didn’t quite believe what I said…
Read MoreWomen in Conservation: Research, Science, Sustainability, Empowerment
In celebration of Womens Month, we turn to the passionate, strong women leading some of LAMAVEs research and conservation projects across the Philippines. We ask what drives them and hear their take on scientific research and what motivates them to pursue conservation goals in the heart of the coral triangle…
Read MorePhilippines officially hosts world’s second largest known population of whale sharks
Philippines, March 3, 2019, The Philippines officially hosts the second-largest known population of whale sharks in the world according to Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a global online population catalogue used by scientists and the public. The Philippine population total, which now stands at >1,600 individual whale sharks…
Read MorePalawan – The paradise of the Philippines
I’m back. Once again I find myself back in this crazy and beautiful country of the Philippines. Where travelling from one place to another sometimes takes hours, if not days with a bus, jeepney, trike and two boats. Where finding a quick feed at the bus station means getting another bag of garlic peanuts (yum) and a bunch of bananas. It also means being back in the amazing crystal clear - blue waters where whale sharks, manta rays, turtles and eagle rays live.
Read MoreClose encounters - out of the blue a shark I didn’t recognise appeared!
Before starting my volunteer placement with LAMAVE I knew I would be spending plenty of time in water with the largest fish in the ocean, Whale Sharks, little did I know the close encounter I was soon to experience….
Read MoreLAMAVE and the Philippine Siren team up again for an expedition of diving and whale sharks!
This January we teamed up for a second time with Worldwide Dive and Sail to bring an exclusive trip around the Visayas, Philippines. This trip was designed to visit Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) project site in Sogod Bay, Southern Leyte, and potential study sites for marine megafauna.
Read MoreA new study reveals the impacts of whale shark mass tourism on the coral reefs in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.
The collaborative research among the University of Hong Kong (HKU), the University of Guam (UoG), and the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute Philippines (LAMAVE) shows that whale shark tourism in Tan-awan, Oslob, Philippines has led to degradation of the local coral reef ecosystem…
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