Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean 2023, MH2 - Oceanographic

Finalist Human Connection Award: People & Planet Ocean

Max Holba Cebu, Philippines

9°27'43.6"N 123°22'48.1"E

"The whale sharks that swim and feed in close proximity to the boats of local fishers are now a tourist attraction in Oslob in the Philippines," says Holba. "For years, this kind of tourism has been very controversial: While it enables the local community to have a steady income and presents them with an alternative to killing the animals for their meat and fins, the ever increasing amount of people that get too close to the animals is a worrying development."