Albay Gulf is a large gulf in the Bicol Peninsula of Luzon island in the Philippines.
The place has been one of the tourist spots in the province because of the frequent sightings of whale sharks (known as butanding in the local vernacular) in the coastal areas. The government has taken actions requesting concerned sectors to test whether the number of plankton, the whale shark's primary food source, was adequate for the species' sustenance. In 1997, whale sharks were sighted in the town of Donsol in Sorsogon. Their presence led to the town's receiving the moniker whale shark capital of the world.
Albay is a province in the Philippines located in the Bicol Region in southeastern Luzon. Its capital is the city of Legazpi, the regional administrative center of Bicol Region, which is located in the southern foothill of Mayon Volcano, the symbol most associated with the province. This nearly perfectly shaped active volcano forms a scenic backdrop to the city of Legazpi and is visible throughout the municipalities and cities of Albay including the surrounding provinces.
Long before the Spaniards arrived, Albay had a thriving civilization. Formerly called Ibat, and then Libog, Albay was once ruled by Gat Ibal, an old chief who also founded the old barangay of Sawangan, now the district of Albay and part of the city of Legazpi.
In July 1569, Luis Enriquez de Guzman, a member of the expedition led by Maestro de Campo Mateo de Saz and Captain Martin de Goiti, led a group which crossed from Burias and Ticao islands and landed on a coastal settlement called Ibalon in what is now the province of Sorsogon. From this point another expedition was sent to explore the interior and founded the town of Camalig.
Albay is a province of the Philippines.
Albay may also refer to: