Swimming with the Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu – Oslob Travel Guide by my guest blogger JP Fabros

The municipality of Oslob, a quiet fishing town on the southern edge of the Cebu Province, is becoming a bustling stop for tourists. The town itself is quaint and picturesque with Spanish era ruins, a famous waterfall called Tumalog falls and backdropped by sheer hills spanning across clear blue skies. However, it has recently become most known for the whale-watching activities that provide the opportunity to swim alongside the gentle giants of the deep, the Butandings aka Whale Sharks.

Chippy barkada moments

How to get there

Getting to Oslob from Cebu City calls only for a single bus ride with the entire travel time around 2-3 hours.

-          Start from Cebu City South Bus Terminal

o   Around 30 minutes by taxi from Mactan Airport (around 300 Php) and located near Elizabeth Mall or E-mall.

o   It would be better to depart from here as early as possible (no later than 4AM) since the Whaleshark interaction activity will only be from 7AM up to 12PM (noon) with the highest visibility from 7AM to 9AM.

o   If you don’t mind having to swim with a lot of other people (ifykwim) then you can go on a weekend, otherwise it is recommended to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds.

-          Hop on a bus to Oslob

o   There will be sign boards on the buses to help you choose the right bus. You can also ask the staff there for assistance if you’re unsure.

o   The earliest bus will leave the city at 2AM.

o   Bus Fare will be 150 for non-airconditioned and 155 for air-conditioned.

o   Again, the travel time will be 2-3 hours.

-          Get dropped off in Brgy. Tan-awan in Oslob

o   You can inform the bus conductor to specifically drop you off at a place for whale-watching (there are many resorts conducting the whale-watching activity).

o   When you get there, get registered and you will soon get to swim with the Whale Sharks.

Whale-watching Costs

Inclusive of snorkeling gear and life vest, the rates are:

-          500 Php for local tourists

-          1000 Php for foreign tourists

If you plan on staying on the boat, you only need to pay 300 Php. You can then pay for a locker where you can leave your belongings for a fee of around 20 Php. One session will last approximately 30 minutes and your guide will tell you when it’s time to go.

You can also rent a waterproof camera at 500 Php (without memory card) or 550 Php (with memory card). You can then have your guide take photos for you when you’re in the water.

Briefing

Before you finally get to swim with the Butandings, you will first be taken to a short briefing session on the proper conduct when swimming these gentle creatures. We urge you to listen attentively to this so as to ensure your safety as well as of the safety of the Butandings themselves. We only get to experience swimming with these gentle giants when we take care of them.

Our Experience

Vámonos!

The pool at Just Inn Resort

 We didn’t have to start from Cebu City South Bus Terminal as we had travelled to Dalaguete the day before and stayed at Just Inn. We had informed the staff that we needed to get up by 5AM so we could arrive at Oslob around 7AM and they were happy to give us a wake-up call if we overslept as well as preparing early breakfast. We hailed a bus along the highway and after approximately 1 and ½ hours, we had arrived.

The grandeur of the calm ocean and steep hills behind us was breathtaking. The view got even better once we got on the boat and started going farther from the shore. We couldn’t get a shot that could justify all of this but even if we could have, it’s better experienced personally.

The view was stunning.

And when we were finally able to swim with the Butandings, from the start we knew that it was going to be an exhilarating experience. They were swimming alongside us very closely with a distance of just a few meters (they can sometimes get so close that you can touch them but you shouldn’t). With the movement of the waves, Butandings, boats, and other people all around you, you may need to scramble to get yourself together a couple of times gulping a large amount of fishy sea-water along the way but it’s all part of the fun of it all. Whale-watching in Oslob is a definite addition to everyone’s bucket-list.

It’s a good day to chill.

That’s how close they get.

Jaws

Jaws II

The only thing we regret is that we should’ve taken better underwater photos.

1 like!

The crew

Our above-water photographer

TIPS:

-          You can bring your own snorkeling gear if you’re concerned about hygiene.

-          If you’re confident with your swimming, leave your life-vest in the boat as it limits your ability to move freely underwater.

-          Don’t leave it to the guide to take all of your pictures. They will not come out as you like them. Take most of them yourself. However, leave the close-up pictures of the whale sharks to the guide. Also, if you can, bring your own underwater camera.

-          After whale-watching, you can then travel to the Heritage Sites as well as Tumalog Falls for a complete experience of Oslob. Just hire a habal-habal (motorcycle) to get around.