- Except for the Whale Shark Interaction, all other activities can be done all year round. The Whale Sharks are in the area from November to June, with February to May being the peak months.
- Since Donsol is visited primarily for the whale sharks, the resorts in Donsol are non-operational from July to October.
- Below is a month to month expectation on weather and general conditions in Legaspi, Donsol, and Ticao Island:
NOVEMBER to JANUARY
From November to January you will get the chance to swim with the whale sharks but the diving conditions may not be very comfortable. Guests should also expect rains at this time so you will probably not get the tropical feel. It would be best to bring a windbreaker with a hood with you. These are the rainiest months in the Legaspi, Donsol, and Ticao Island areas. Winds in Donsol are not strong in Donsol as this area is not affected by the Amihan winds and so the water will continue to be calm despite the rain.
Ticao Island, on the other hand, is directly affected by the Amihan winds. Ticao Island Resort is directly affected by these winds and the waves during this time move towards the resort. During these months, the beachfront of Ticao Island Resort quickly gets dirty and the maintenance team have to put in quadruple the effort to keep the beach clean. In most cases, when maintenance reaches one end of the resort, the other end (which was already cleaned) would have accumulated trash again. Guest understanding of this natural situation would be highly appreciated.
FEBRUARY to JUNE
February to June would be the ideal months to visit as this is when you can get the best of both worlds – Whale Sharks and the great diving. Legaspi, Donsol, and Ticao Island would all have great weather as this is the dry season/summer period in the Philippines. The November to January weather may carry on a little to the early part of February since the transition from the wet to the dry season may sometimes be delayed.
JULY to OCTOBER
It is great to visit from July to October if you are looking for a location for a diving holiday and are not focused on seeing the whale sharks. From July to October, diving around Ticao Island is a perfect choice! Although the whale sharks will not be around, you will get the chance to see Manta Rays, Thresher Sharks, White Tip Sharks, and other pelagics. Of course, there is also the macro critters and the corals in the dive sites around San Miguel.
These are the Habagat months in the Philippines and Donsol is directly affected by the Habagat winds. With the Habagat winds, the ocean is very rough. Because of the wind, the direction of the waves would also be towards the beach of Donsol. Just like Ticao Island during the Amihan months, all the dirt and trash from the ocean settles on the shoreline of Donsol during Habagat months. This is probably why the whale sharks are no longer around by this time. There is also a theory that the whale sharks may be within the area but are swimming in the deeper waters.
As Ticao Island is on the opposite end, Ticao Island is not affected by the Habagat winds. During these months, the ocean in front of Ticao Island Resort is extremely calm and diving the diving conditions are exceptional.
During these months, there will be the occasional rain and thunderstorm since the typhoon season in the Philippine would fall during this period. Donsol would feel the main brunt of the storms as the wind and waves will hit the Donsol shores more than it would Ticao Island. The rain showers would reach Ticao Island but the area will not get to feel the wind and waves as much.