On the day of my birthday i travelled back to Cebu from Siquijor to meet the gentle giants in Tan-awan, Oslob. The whale sharks are getting a lot of hype from social media and other forms so im not one to miss this.
I catched the earliest boat ride out of Siquijor to Dumaguete and then another boat ride from Sibulan Port to Lilo-an. From Lilo-an Port in Santander I Hopped on a bus heading to Cebu and after 20mins we dropped off at the Whale Sharks Watching area in Tan-awan, Oslob.
I didnt book any reservation for the Whale Shark watching so i asked around and the bus conductor referred me to Aarons Beach Resort, for just 100 pesos you will have your own locker and you can use their shower.
Aarons Beach Resort
All resorts have the same rate for Whale Shark Watching and Snorkeling. 300 for the former and 500 for the latter for 30 mins.
Whale Shark Watching Area, 5mins boat ride from the resort.
Facing Sumilon Island
After settling the payments and getting the underwater camera that i rented I went to the briefing area with 7 Koreans whom i will be sharing the bangka with. It was a quick briefing on the do's and don'ts while interacting with the whale sharks. Make sure that you keep them in mind, unless you want to be imprisoned or pay a fee.
Briefing Center
Once at the view point, you can already see the whale sharks going after the boat men that feeds them so they stay on the water surface. You can also smell that stinky fish smell in the area. Its tolerable though.
If you cant swim, it is best to wear a life vest for your own safety. Anyway the boat men will just push you down to get a good photo with the whale sharks.
Merrman!
I have the same pose! LOL!
Photobombed
The go pro we rented was a complete fail. The photos were jammed with lines, over saturation and distorted images. So make sure that you examine yours prior and after getting ur photos which will be saved in a Compact Disc, test them. Ask the care taker in Aarons Resort to play the CD. The staff are nice and will be more than willing to oblige.
Things that you should know:
1. whale sharks are only available from 6am till 12 noon. I dont know where they go after 12 but definitely its somewhere in the deep ocean.
2. Don't wear sunscreen. This is hazardous lfor the whale sharks. Let's keep them safe.
3. Don't go near them. Keep a distance of 4 meters. There will be an instance that they bump you, this happened to me twice, swim away from them. Touching the whale sharks means jail time for at most 6 months.
4. Don't use flash on your camera. Whale sharks are extra sensitive to light.
5. Be nice to them. Just take photos and nothing else.
The experience overall with the whale sharks was one of a kind. Its one for the book because its not like everyday that you get to swim with these sharks. They were gentle and they dont eat human flesh, thats for sure.
