The Fireflies of Donsol

Down the river at dusk to see the fireflies when its completely dark

The first time I witnessed the fireflies of Donsol was more than four years ago. Then I got the opportunity to see them again about a month ago. The experience was really out of this world. Many would say that nothing could compare to the whale sharks (which are also found in Donsol). But for me, the fireflies would equal the rewards of the giant sharks. Swimming with the whale shark is an adventure, even a heart-thumping one (especially when water visibility is less than four feet and you would worry about bumping into the head of worse, the tail of the giant). But the fireflies offer serenity, well I could safely say spirituality.

For how can you explain the feeling of seeing thousands of glowing insects that form into throbbing balls of light, or cascading ribbons that engulf a tree, and yes, like Christmas lights covering another tall tree. Nobody can paint to you the whole picture of firefly watching unless you experience it yourself.

Some info about the fireflies:

There are more than 2,000 species of fireflies

Its also called lightning bug or glow worms (but only the larvae - this is quite different from the glow worms found in New Zealand)

Not all fireflies glow (only all the larvae). Most of the fireflies in the temperate countries do not glow.

Many of the fireflies species in Southeast Asia (which includes the Philippines) are known to glow like Christmas lights.