The town of Libertad in the northern part of Antique is eyeing to entice more tourists as it gears up to become a destination for whale shark watching in Western Visayas.

Vice Mayor Mary Jean Te, in an interview on Friday, said eight marine sanctuaries have been serving their feeding grounds for the whale sharks.

Locally known as butanding, they are considered the largest fish in the ocean and feed on fish spawn, small fish and plankton, among others.

“There are around seven whale sharks that could be spotted in the coastal area of Barangay Barusbus every early morning. They could become tourist attractions in our municipality and boost our local economy,” she said.

A watching area and other amenities in Barangay Barusbus are expected to open next month, developed by the local government in partnership with a Korean investor.

“Whale shark-watching could provide livelihood for the fisherfolk in our municipality. They could transport tourists who would like to dive to have a closer look at the world’s largest fish from the coastlines,” she said.

Libertad is at the boundary of Antique and Aklan, and near the world-famous Boracay Island.

Te and members of the municipal council will also visit Oslob, Cebu on July 16 to look into their best practices and possible legislation in protecting their diving industry for possible replication in Libertad.

Whale sharks are listed as endangered or with a high risk of going extinct, by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. (PNA)