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What to do in Oslob – Swim with the Whale Sharks in the Philippines

Oslob is one of the Philippines’ best places to swim with whale sharks. Find some helpful tips for organizing a trip there and having this incredible experience.

Whale shark in the Philippines Oslob

Quick guide Oslob

Best time to visit: November to April

How long: a couple of days is enough if you only want to swim with the Whale Sharks

Why it is worth visiting: Oslob is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with Whale Sharks without doing scuba diving.

Where to stay: this hotel is probably the best option in the area.

If you are looking for white sandy beaches, amazing food, friendly people, and beautiful landscapes, the Philippines is the place to go…

But if you get tired of chilling out all day, you can try a fantastic experience: snorkeling with the whale sharks in Oslob, on the island of Cebu.

In this article, I’ll explain how to get to Oslob, where you can stay for the night, and what else you can do nearby.

But first of all, many people asked me if it’s dangerous to snorkel with whale sharks. The answer is No, whale sharks are not dangerous. These big fish eat plankton, and we are not part of their diet, so there is nothing to fear.

Swimming with the Whale Sharks in Oslob

Even though there are many places in the Philippines where you can dive with the whale sharks, if you like snorkeling, there are only two places where you can see the whale sharks: Donsol and Oslob. Donsol is an excellent place, but you are not 100% sure to see the whale sharks. On the other hand, you can be 100% sure to see them in Oslob.

Oslob is in the southern part of the island of Cebu. You can get to Cebu by plane from Manila or any other main city in the Philippines. Cebu Pacific Airlines, the low-cost carrier of the Philippines, is based in Cebu City.

Once in Cebu, head to the South Bus Terminal. You can get there either by taxi or in a private van. Once in the bus terminal, look for the bus heading to Oslob. Remember that the whale shark watching area is a few kilometers before Oslob, in a small village called Tan-Awan. Tell the driver you want to see the whale sharks, and he will drop you off at your destination.

There are two different types of buses you can use to get to Tan-Awan: air-con (by Ceres Liner) and non-air-con. Since it’s quite a long ride (about 5 hours), it’s much better to take the air-con bus (the price is pretty much the same).

Where to stay in Oslob

Tan-Awan is on the main road heading to Oslob. If you are looking for accommodation in Oslob, you can choose between 4 or 5 resorts. I spent a couple of nights at the Sea Safari.

You can spot some sea turtles and sometimes whale sharks in the water in front of the resort.

If you don’t want to stay there, you can find other good deals on Booking.com or Trip.com, which is ideal for book hotels in Asia.

Oslob Whale Shark watching briefing area

accommodation oslob philippines

Every morning between 6:00 and 12:00, the whale sharks gather in front of the beach to be fed by some fishermen.

The tour starts with a short briefing, and you will be told what to do and what not to do if you want to swim with the whale sharks. You should stay at least 4 meters from these giant creatures, but the truth is that they will most likely be closer: they are not afraid of humans.

The price is 500 pesos if you want to stay on the boat (why would you do that though?!) and 1000 pesos if you want to swim with the whale sharks. You can stay in the area for 30 minutes.

The protected area is just 100 meters from the beach.

Is it worth spending so many hours getting to Tan-Awan to swim with these creatures? Definitely yes!! Snorkeling with the whale sharks in Oslob has been one of the most amazing experiences in my life.

Keep calm…and snorkel with the whale sharks in Oslob!

How to photograph the whale sharks

snorkeling with the whale sharks

If you want to photograph the whale sharks in Oslob, getting an underwater camera with a good wide-angle lens is a good idea. Pretty much any action camera will work just fine.

What else can you do in Oslob

waterfalls in oslob

Swimming with the whale sharks in Oslob will take only the morning, so you’ll have the whole afternoon to do something else. It’s a good idea to visit the fantastic Tumalog Falls, just 5 minutes from Tan-Awan.

To conclude the post, you can watch the video I recorded in Oslob. You can see how close you can get to the Whale Sharks.

https://youtu.be/DMFA9tFNeds

What about you? What is the most fantastic experience of your life?

Here, you can see other pictures of the Philippines, and here is a post about Bohol, another beautiful place to visit in the Philippines. Here is the complete travel guide to the Philippines. Here are my travel guides to Ao Nang and Phi Phi Island in Thailand.

10 thoughts on “What to do in Oslob – Swim with the Whale Sharks in the Philippines”

  1. snorkeling with the oslob whale sharks

    Absolutely lovely and gorgeous photos!

  2. Great post and very gorgeous photos! I love your blog and the photos too! Thanks for sharing this awesome post!

  3. Your photos are absolutely gorgeous, just beautiful. 🙂

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