Oslob Whale Shark Watching

Stayed overnight in Oslob. A local resident said that the lines would start before 5:00 am. Swimming with these gentle giants is an opportunity you shouldn't miss. Give the whale sharks some space, make sure you take some photos or better yet use a water-proof camera. You can rent a GoPro at the spot. Worth doing again.

This was an amazing experience swimming with whale sharks. I did a lot of research before going to see if I could find a way to reduce the wait time, but nothing was helpful.

We arrived around 10:30 am because we were not early risers. We rented a car from Cebu airport on the day we landed and stayed in Moalboal. The drive was about 2 hours from Moalboal. Upon arrival, we were given number 318, and the count was only 216. The staff told us the only way to skip the line was to do scuba diving.

We decided to go with Biboy. If you've never scuba-dived before, don't worry, the instructor will give you all the tips on how to handle the gears and not freak out underwater. The cost was 1500p/person for the scuba rental and another 1000p/person for the entrance fee. To us, this extra cost saved us at least 2 hours of waiting time and not having to wake up at the crack of dawn (the snorkeling entrance fee is 500p/person if you have your own).

Once underwater, we each had a buddy to help us acclimate to the pressure. The depth was only 6 meters, so your iPhone can safely film underwater for up to 30 minutes. We didn't even need to wear a wetsuit as it was that deep.

Seeing the whale shark swimming amongst the visitors was amazing. The divers were able to swim freely while the snorkelers had to hold on to the side of the boat. We saw a whale shark's mouth graze a snorkeler's feet - while she wasn't harmed, I'm sure it was a terrifying experience for her. We were also able to dive down to see the beautiful corals. All in all, the 30-minute experience of scuba diving was the best way to experience this excursion.

If my experience hasn't convinced you to look into scuba diving, you can try to reserve a spot on Facebook - see my photo for the link. Note that everything on-site is cash only.

To watch whale shark, we needed to line up at 3am and get the priority number at 4am. Back to sleep for a while and gather at beach at 6am. PHP500 entrance fee and PHP50 for hotel guys. But it was all worth while as we could see two whale sharks and took some beautiful videos

There's a big queue in the morning before opening, so we advise you to come there around 7-8 am. At this point there are no people in the queue, but you still need time for the payment and preparation. Overall, this experience is beyond anything you ever felt: whale sharks are huge and gorgeous creatures, you have 30 minutes to swim with them, and this time flies by. For the price of only 500 pesos it is an amazing deal, the only thing you need to be ready for is that something in the water "burns" (is it seaweed or jellyfish we don't know).

Great experience. There are several whale sharks that you can swim with. Recommend it. Donna and Crislade were the best tour guides.
A few tips: Don´t bring anything on the boat as the bottom is full of water. Also, rent a Go Pro from the tour agency for the best content. The boat men are top photographers and will take the best photos and videos.
Also, keep in mind that Oslob is far from Cebu city. It took me 3 hours to go but 6h to come back due to the heavy traffic. However, the experience is 100% worth it.

One of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had. Didn’t know what to expect but it was even better than I could have hoped. Up close and personal with these amazing creatures. The staff in the boat could not have been any more helpful. They made sure we knew where the sharks were and when to dive. They used my GoPro and got the most amazing pictures and videos. If you get the chance to experience this you really need to go for it. Go early!!

I recently visited Oslob Whale Shark in the Philippines and had a fantastic experience. The staff on the island were incredibly kind and fluent in English, which made communication easy. My husband and I had the unforgettable experience of scuba diving with the whale sharks. Additionally, we rented a GoPro, which allowed us to capture beautiful images and videos of our adventure. The organization was top-notch, although the popularity of the place was apparent due to the large crowds and long wait times.

A highlight was the affordability of the experience. The price for normal watching from the boats, where you can snorkel or swim with the whale sharks, is very reasonable. This accessibility adds great value to the experience, making it a must-visit for wildlife enthusiasts. However, be prepared for a busy environment due to its touristic nature.

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Great activity better to get there early because there is a big que but it's worth it we were in a tour group so access was pretty straight forward still had to wait a while but the boats staff crew were brilliant the waters were abit ruff hard to take photos but ask one of the crew and they will take it for you and wasn't let down great photo and contact with the big fish recommend. Great experience

We stayed the night before at a hotel next door called Aloha. The owner was awesome and took us up to show us where to register the following morning. We arrived at 5:30am thinking we arrived early but the place was packed. The line up went quickly but once you get through it you know what your turn to get on the boat. This is where you will wait for 2 hours or so.
We got approached by a Scuba diving shop asking if we wanted to go. Apparently since you're leaving from shore you go directly into the water. My gf didn't want to Scuba dive so I went. I asked her to buy me a ticket for the boat also.
I did the dive and was amazed. I think that's the best way to see the sharks. After the dive I went back and found my gf. They wouldn't sell her a 2nd ticket for me unless I was there so we went and got one. They just added me to her number. That process was fairly easy.
We then waited about an hour or longer more before we got to get out on the boat. It was a bit chaotic on sure calling out group numbers. One guy seemed to be out of control barking orders to the others and caused nothing but confusion. I should mention my gf is Filipina and understood what was going on. They would call out number then go up then ask us when near the boat then say no not your number...but the guy farther up on the beach had just called our number. Bit of a sh:t show so be patient. I did notice that if you showed up around 9am there didn't seem to be any line ups and you could get out right away on the boats. They feed the sharks until 11am.
I would recommend Scuba diving for this. If your not certified I noticed they are good to help those that have never done it before. The water is fairly shallow so it wasn't a deep dive.
I used an Insta 360 camera for the underwater shots and then had a 3 meter extended selfie stick for use in the boat. Drones are only permitted if you buy a permit. I heard it was 2500 for the permit but I didn't verify that price. I left the drone in its case.

What an amazing experience, swimming and seeing whale sharks up close. Awaken us to protect our oceans. And yes, we have to queue because there are so many tourists here. Luckily we had tourguides, who were very friendly and helpful to create a great experience for us. Love it.

Wow, that was seriously the most epic experience of my life! I mean, I've never laid eyes on anything like those enormous and graceful whale sharks. I had an absolute blast getting up close and personal. Huge thanks to everyone involved – you guys rock! 🐋🦈😄

We ordered a tour from the website and everything was perfect
We are experienced divers, so it was quite light and easy dive. The rented equipment is okay, no questions, the guide is also good. The sharks are nice, you can see them from the distance, but they are mostly in the surface
If you go snorkeling, you are swimming in a fully loaded boat with too many people, but the sharks are very close to you and you can see them better
If you go with scuba dive, you can see the sharks belly, but you can see more sharks. But I really like it, very interesting experience

Very crowded...you have to wake up at 4 am...and pick up the car to go there....
But everything is so great.... i love whale shark....it is amazing....must watch...
The time is working from 6am to 9am

This was pretty amazing. It was a long early drive from Cebu to get there (4am departure, 3.5hr drive) but worth it. After arrival you get a ticket and then wait for the safety briefing. I was about 90min between getting my ticket and having my briefing. There are a couple of cafes there to wait and a few shops to pass your time in but much else. Also, there are lots of persistent but friendly locals selling all sorts of trinkets. They have plastic waterproof cases for your phone if you want to take photos. I found the photos were good but the screen wasn't responsive at times which became a challenge. This would be perfect for a GoPro kind of action camera so don't leave that at home!
After the briefing you're called to queue up and they put you on a boat that gets paddled out to where the sharks are swimming around. There are about 12 per boat and because you have a 30min timeslot out there, boats are always in motion coming and going.
While it is open ocean and there are no cages or nets to speak of, there is someone throwing food from a boat and they lazily sweep back and forth grazing away, occasionally bumping the boat when food wasn't being delivered in a timely fashion. People can stay on the boat and watch or jump in the water and watch as they pass by. They are really docile and showed little interest in the tourists so if anyone is worried they might get eaten, you won't! The three guides per boat were lovely and happily offered to take photos which was great. While you're relatively very close to shore, the water gets deep really fast, and it was probably a good 15-20m where we were.
After about 30min, there is a call that it's time to head back so anyone who isn't already in the boat jumps back in and they take you in to shore.
All in all, I quite liked it and it was worth the drive and waiting around. If you're keen for something different, check it out!

Amazing experience. We were allowed to get close to whale sharks while they are eating food and we can take pictures with them. If you forget to bring or don’t have go-pro, you can rent it for 550 php, then pictures and videos can be transferred to your phone. ※No sunscreen!

Swimming with whale sharks is a mixture of fun and fear. It's better to come early as 5 am because it gets crowded after 10 am. Staffs are friendly.

Viewing starts at 6am but better be here at around 5am because the lines are too long and better to swim early to avoid too much heat from the sun. Viewing stops at 12noon

Unbelievable bucket list item. You absolutely will not regret this must do adventure. To be in the water with multiple whale sharks was more than I ever imagined

Increadable place .
You can sea the Whale shark just beside you.
With nice and kind people.
Enjoy your trip

A must do activity for local and foreign tourists. The whalesharks are breathtaking, and the locals who take care of these creatures are more amazing. The experience will absolutely be pleasant as you go down memory lane.
There is an orientation before setting out to the sea to make sure that no mishap happens. It's very important for the safety of both tourists and whale sharks, so make sure to pay attention.
You'd have to set out wearing a life jacket, but since it will keep you floating, it's hard to take a photo under the sea. You can remove the life jacket, especially if you're good at swimming, while it may take a lot of courage for those who do not know how to swim.

Additionally, do not put on a sunblock, they will order you to rinse to get rid of it. Apparently, the chemicals contained in the sunblock are harmful to whale sharks.