OSLOB , CEBU PH

Ola Mi Amigos , Mi Amigas!

I want to share my experiences and this beautiful creature I have seen this year which is the WHALE SHARK a.k.a "BUTANDING".

In Oslob, Cebu, whale shark watching is the ultimate suggested activity especially if you are a foreign in my City.

It is one of the top traveller destination on a Southern Cebu itinerary. Oslob Cebu boasts so many scenic spots and activities. One can never go wrong with Oslob Cebu when it comes to being one with the nature.

We travelled at like 10am so we arived there at 1pm.
I suggest that you should go there like 3 am to 4 am in the morning so that you will not suffer traffic congestion.

The whale sharking watching will starts at 6am until 12pm in the afternoon , sadly its only til noon because the whale shark will go back to the deep shallow sea.

So If you will go there and planning to stay for a day I suggest you travel at dawn.

HOW TO GET THERE?

Whale shark watching is in a small barangay in Oslob, which is Tan-awan.
We traveled by car though, but it’s easy to commute from Cebu city.

Source: http://www.cebu.gov.ph/cebu-south-bus-terminal-bus-schedules/

From Cebu City, go to Cebu South Bus Terminal
Ride Ceres Liner bus (in Center wing) going to Oslob.
Check the above schedules of buses.

The usual travel time is 3 to 4 hours depending on the traffic.
You can either ride an air-conditoned bus or an ordinary one.
Ask your conductor to drop you off at whale shark watching briefing area in Brgy. Tan-awan.
It’s along the highway, so you could see it right away.

HOW TO SIGN UP FOR WHALE SHARK WATCHING?

source:http://www.turtlebaydiveresort.com/blog/oslob-cebu-whale-shark-watching

From the drop off area you just have to walk straight and you can see lots of tourist waiting for there turn to ride the boats.

Meanwhile, there is no reservation; it’s a first come, first serve basis. It’s not a whole day activity though, it is only open from 6 AM to 12:30 PM everyday. No wonder people want to arrive there early.

Before we start, our tour guide asked us whether we will just watch or swim with the whale sharks. Apparently, the fees depend on it.

The Dive Ticket fees as follows:

Foreign Visitors (no longer any extra charge for cameras):

• Whale shark watching from a boat = Php 500.00;

• Snorkelling with whale sharks = Php 1,000.00;

• Scuba diving = Php 1,500.00.

Philippine Visitors (not from Oslob):

• Whale shark watching from a boat = Php 300.00;

• Snorkelling with whale sharks = Php 500.00;

• Scuba diving = Php 600.00.

HOW TO PREPARE?

The briefing/orientation will start at 6 AM. They are requiring every tourists to attend the briefing. All important notes are discussed here; you can also raise your questions after the briefing.

FINALLY DIVING with THE SHARKS

While in the boat that would take us to the whale shark area, I was thrilled but anxious as well.

There were two operators on the boat. One was a spotter, another was a guide.

The spotter is obviously the one who stands on the boat beam to look for big dark shadows in the waters. The guide is the one who will tell you to dive into the water to swim alongside with a whale shark when spotted. Not only that, the guide is basically the one who is responsible for everyone’s safety and he can also take some pictures for you.

Whale sharks are they world’s largest fish, but they’re not even close to dangerous. They can grow up to 4-12 meters in length and weight up to 23 tons. They have enormous five foot wide mouths with no teeth.

Besides, the whale sharks tend to descend to the deeper part of the water if boats and people were out. That made it hard for us to actually see them close-up. Especially the water was kind of dark and gloomy for us to clearly see the whale sharks.

When a whale shark was spotted, the guide would sail in the same direction the whale shark was heading to beat them to to the edge of the sea. That way we would jump in the water before the whale shark reaches us. And then we would swim alongside these gentle giants.

As we prepared for our first one, we huddle up and sat on the edge of the boat with our snorkel masks and fins on. We all eyeballed the guide for the signal.

Moments later, one whale shark came to our side and I was astounded as to how big it is. A really beautiful gentle creature. The whale shark was following a small boat that throws them their food (planktons).

Although, It make take sometime to see them because you have to wait for your turn since there's a lot of tourist.

The relationship of the locals and the fisherman with the whale sharks it is really remarkable and it feels like they have known each other for so long.They do have a strong bond.

Seeing them up close is really amazing.
I was very speechless to see such a beautiful creature right in front of me.
and it made me realize... how interesting our world is.

It really describes how amazing and beautiful the world we lived in and we are so lucky to be living in it :)