Swimming With Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu; Package, tour, Price and Schedule!!
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During our travelling adventures, we got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to swim with the Oslob whale sharks in Palawan, Philippines. There aren’t many places in the world where you can freely swim with these gentle giants in the wild. However, there is a lot of controversy around the whale sharks in Oslob. But, if you’re looking for the best places to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, Oslob is the place to visit. Are whale sharks dangerous? No not all, it is a very safe tourist activity in Oslob. Let’s learn about the history of whale sharks and how to make a reservation to see the whale sharks in the Philippines.
Let me put this out there, we are totally against animal cruelty. However, we don’t see this as harming the whales. Everyone is respectful of them and the workers make sure you can’t touch them or harm them in any way. It is managed and well-looked after experience and this is the best place in the Philippines to swim with whale sharks. If you’re wondering if you can take your kids to see the whale sharks in Oslob, you will find out in this post.
What Is The Oslob Whale Shark price?
The whale sharks tour in Oslob cost 1000 pesos (19 USD). This included the hire of snorkels and life jackets, as well as our return transport to the whale shark site from your hotel. This includes 25 minutes of swimming and snorkelling in the water. The cost goes towards regenerating the community in Oslob which was once a quiet town, however, there are now over 50 hotels employing a lot of people.
The price of the whale shark tour in Oslob is cheaper when you don’t want to snorkel, so you do have the option to just watch from the boat!
You can stay at Aj’s place beach resort Oslob and they will book the whale shark tour for you. Plus it’s a cheap place to stay in Oslob!
Whale sharks tour schedule in Oslob?
The actual schedule for the whale sharks is only twice a day, this is a strict rule to not stress the whale sharks. Also, it keeps a capped number on the tourists visiting Oslob to do the snorkelling with whale sharks package.
So, you can swim with the whale sharks at two times throughout the day;
- 6am – This is the best time
- 12 noon – This is the busiest time to swim with the Oslob whales!
Best time of year to see the Whale sharks in the Philippines?
You will have a better experience and see more them from around Febuary to April. Oslob is just one of the places, you can see the whale sharks at Donsol in Luzon, which is way-up-north of the Philippines.
Have you ever thought about visiting New Zealand? You can do an awesome tour watching whales in Kaikoura, this is an awesome experience. Or, check out the best things to do in Cabo in Mexico. Here you can swim with whale sharks too.
History of the whale sharks
The history goes a little something like – It was actually a local of Sumilon island that discovered the first-sighting of whale sharks in Oslob.
However, between 2007-2010 a Korean diver paid a local boatman to take him out to see the whale sharks, this payment was a considerable amount. More money kept flowing in for these tours in Oslob and the locals wanted a piece of the money-pie.
From then on the locals have been offering tours for tourists in Oslob to visit the whale sharks.
This is how the story goes anyway 🙂
How to book the whale shark swimming in Oslob?
We booked whale shark swimming the day before as we arrived in Oslob. Every hotel offers tickets so you won’t struggle to find somewhere to buy one. You can book through various tour operators in Oslob. However, the usually best option is to book through your hotel in Oslob. This is how we booked the whale shark experience. Also, the hotel provided our transportation to the Oslob activity.
You can also book the whale sharks in Oslob package with this you will also visit the awesome Kawasan falls. Which is another epic place to visit in the Philippines.
Can you take kids to see the whale sharks?
The whale sharks are friendly and they won’t attack. In regards to your kids, this all depends on the age of your child. For example, you don’t want to take a young child there who can’t swim and is going to be scared. But yes you can take kids to see the whale sharks.
Whale sharks in Oslob facts?
The amazing whale sharks hold the title of the world’s largest fish and can grow up to 32ft and weigh 200 tons, now that seems scary right? You’re wrong, these graceful creatures won’t be interested in eating you for lunch, as their favourite meal is plankton and lots of it! The whale shark is a filter feeder, meaning they swim with their mouth wide open and collect plankton and small fish before filtering out the unwanted salt water.
Preferring tropical waters, whale sharks tend to be found is tropical waters, making Philippines an ideal place to call home. These enormous whales pass through Oslob and this is where you will have the chance to swim with these in a surreal setting.
How to get to Oslob?
Oslob is a small coastal town in South Cebu and is best known for whale shark swimming. You’ll be glad to know there is a 7/11 to pick up any essentials you will need and a few local restaurants to try some yummy Filipino food.
The cheapest way to get to Oslob is to fly into Cebu, then catch the bus from the airport to the south Bus terminal. Once at the south bus terminal in Cebu City, catch a direct bus to Oslob. The buses aren’t always reliable so allow plenty of time for travel, however, they are super cheap, costing around $1 USD per journey! Alternatively, you could pay for a taxi to take you directly to Oslob which should take around 4 hours depending on traffic.
So, time from Cebu centre to Oslob – (3 – 4) hours.
If you’re travelling around, you should check out my 3 weeks Philippines itinerary for simple guides of where to stay and where to visit in the Philippines.
Our Experience at the whale sharks in Oslob
Whale shark watching starts at 6am and finishes around noon. We were told to get there as early as possible as it can get busy, so after a 5am alarm, a quick breakfast we were ready to roll. The guy from our hostel drove us to the whale shark watching site and after signing in we had to listen to a 5 minute talk regarding the safety of the whale sharks and ourselves, as well as informative information about these incredible creatures.
It was clear to see the organisation was strict on rules when swimming with the whale sharks and for good reason. For example, under no circumstances are you allowed to touch the whale sharks or feed the whale sharks and you aren’t allowed to wear sun cream. It is purely an observational activity and everyone should respect this.
#Renting a camera – We then collected our life jackets and snorkels and were allocated a boat with a driver. They also have Go Pro’s to rent for 500 Peso’s ($9USD) in case you don’t have an underwater camera. I would highly recommend doing this to capture those insta shots.
The boats are quite narrow and fit 6-8 people in and the guys row you around 50 metres from the shore and all line up by the side of each other. Then, they’ll signal for you to slide into the water and then simply watch, enjoy and swim alongside these gentle giants. The crew feed the whale sharks to entice them to come but I wouldn’t be complaining if I was offered free food! You get around 25 minutes in the water then we headed back to shore. Our hostel guy was waiting for us and off we popped back in his tuk tuk to the hostel. The whole experience takes around 1 hour.
Insider Tip: From the whale shark feeding centre, ask your driver to head to Tumalog Waterfalls, it’s only 5 minutes away and is in the same direction back to Oslob town. Having travelled all over Asia where seeing waterfalls are a common thing, I can still say do not miss out on this one! The Tumalog waterfalls is a sight to see.
Check out the YouTube video below for some inspiration:
List of whale shark tour companies in Oslob, Cebu
There is plenty of companies offering the whale sharks tour in Oslob. Some are cheaper than others. But, they all offer the same thing so I wouldn’t worry about booking an expensive one!
Here is the most popular whale shark tour company in Oslob;
Where to stay in Oslob?
- Budget – La Lune Oslob Hostel (13 USD per room) – This budget hostel has one of the best-rated locations in Oslob, making it a perfect choice for those travellers who want convenience. With a shared lounge, you’re bound to make friends on your adventures. The rooms are spacious and are cooled by a fan, but for that price, you can’t complain! Book Room: La Lune Oslob Hostel
- Mid-Range – Sascha’s Resort Oslob (26 USD per room) – We were lucky enough to stay at this resort whilst staying in Oslob. On arrival, we were met by friendly staff who showed us around. There’s a small pool to cool off in and a large restaurant serving fresh local Filipino food, which overlooked onto the sea, perfect for those beautiful sunsets. Each room has air conditioning and includes a private bathroom with a shower and the majority have a sea few. Book Room: Sascha’s Resort
- Luxury – AJ’s Place Beach Resort (BEST ROOMS) – AJ’s offers air-conditioned rooms, with a flat-screen TV and private bathrooms. The staff are very accommodating and the facilities are superb, with free wifi throughout the property and breakfast available. Book Room: Aj’s Resort Oslob
- Perfect Location – The amazing Way Shack Design hostel has an epic rooftop design for you to relax on the roof with epic views and a cocktail. You can enjoy some amazing Filipino food at the onsite restaurant, making this one of the top places to stay Oslob. Book Room: Oslob Way Shack Design
Conclusion
So now you know the best place in the Philippines to swim with whale sharks and how to make the Oslob whale sharks reservation. The whale shark experience is definitely the best thing to do in Oslob. Like I said there is some controversy around this activity. However, we did not see any harmful activities towards the whale sharks.
It is a really surreal experience and probably one of the best things we did in the Philippines. If you’re visiting Oslob, I would suggest to just stay for 2 nights.
Where to visit in Cebu?
If you’re staying in Cebu then you need to visit the awesome Kawasan falls.
Where to next?
Have you thought about travelling to Bohol? You will need to get the Cebu to Bohol ferry and check out the best things to do in Bohol whilst you’re there.