It’s not often one gets to swim with whale sharks. I was very lucky to have had this opportunity when I visited the Philippines. Let me tell you, it was both amazing and pretty scary (I’m not keen on swimming in open water, let alone with large sea creatures). We were staying in the small city of Oslob off the province of Cebu. Oslob is known for having whale shark encounters and they generate a lot of tourism for this activity. I know there’s some debate on whether this is ethical, however, in my experience, I felt that the locals did the best they could to treat the situation with lots of care. Not to mention it really helps boost the local economy!
We were staying at a local bed and breakfast where the host gave us the information we needed to sign up for a whale shark tour. It seemed like all the locals there know each other and work collectively to help out travelers which is very nice. We signed some papers and our host arranged our transportation for the next day. We went with the Oslob Whale Shark Experience Tour.
My boyfriend and I got hit with some nasty food poisoning the night before but we somehow mustered the strength to not miss out on the whale sharks. We rolled out of bed at the crack of dawn, got picked up by some locals, and headed to the whale shark destination (about a 10-15 min drive).
What to expect?
There were loads of people lined up and excited to see the whale sharks so there was quite a bit of waiting. We got a safety briefing before being assigned to a boat. You get a life jacket that you must keep on at all times, although our guide did allow us to briefly take it off to get some underwater shots. I do not recommend this unless you are good at swimming in open waters. The boats are small and they don’t go too far out into the ocean. We went during the month of November so the water was chilly (I recommend a wet suit). There was some jellyfish that kept stinging us 🙁
You are not allowed to touch the sharks and cannot get too close either. It’s also recommended to wear reef-safe sunscreen or no sunscreen at all during this activity.
Is it worth it?
It was an amazing experience to see such giant sea creatures up close. It really makes you gain more respect to see them in their element. I would say it was worth it because there are few places in the world where you can see whale sharks and you are really helping the locals with your tourism. Don’t forget your souvenirs that are being sold outside of the tour spot 🙂