One of my bucket list for the year 2016 was meeting and swimming with the Butandings (whale sharks) of Oslob, Cebu.
We travelled to Oslob, Cebu via a rented van at 5 am in the morning since the whale sharks can be seen only in the morning from 7 am to 10am. You can also catch the earliest bus ride from the South Bus Terminal to Barangay Tan-Awan at 3 am.
The ride from Cebu City to Brgy. Tan-Awan, Oslob was about three (3) hours long. Whale shark watching is until 1 pm only (if the Butandings are still in the area). Usually side trip after this is in Tumalog Falls or going to Sumilon Island. However for more relaxed travel you can rent/hire a van (Php 5,000 for 5-6 persons) and have an option of buying lechon/chicharon in CarCar and other delicacies along the way (vice versa).
Our driver/tour guide drop and waited for us at Brumini Resort. After paying fees (Php 300 for whale shark watching/ Php 500 for swimming plus Php 50 resort fees and underwater camera for 30 minutes costs Php 600 - unlimited shots) and then brought us by a complimentary shuttle of the resort to the Briefing Center where do's and don'ts were discussed.
The orientation was about the rules and regulations while watching/swimming at the site:
Each group's (2 -4 persons) are allowed 30 mins of watching or swimming.
Distance from the whale shark should be 4 meters.
No flash photography as they're sensitive to light.
No to sunscreens or any body lotion.
After the briefing, we were guided to our boat and wear our life vests. They also handed the rented camera. Please note that the interaction area was so near the shore. It did not take us long to meet the gentle giants of the sea. At first we were scared to jump into the water because of the their sizes. An adult whale shark can be as big as a bus in Edsa while the baby whale shark is huge as an L300 van.
Once submerge in water, we were so scared that they might swallow us whole but our boatman assure us that they are harmless and human is not in their menu. We were so amazed of their size and gentleness while swimming around us though they smell fishy so better ready to have your own bar of soap to wash up at the resort.
Our boatmen, alternately took pictures of us like models posing under water requesting to remove our life vest for us to have a great picture. At first we were hesitant to remove our vest but our boatman assured us they we are in good hands. And for these precious moments sake, we followed our boatman's instructions and strike a pose. I now understand how difficult to shoot models submerged in water. Its tiring but all worth it for a perfect shot for your cover photo.
After more than 30 minutes, we are all in awe because of this experience! We keep saying to ourselves that this is the highlight of our vacation in the queen city of the south.
I just hope that swimming with the gentle giants brings no serious harm's to them and our local government would strictly protect these wonderful creations of God for the future generations to see and enjoy.
Check out some of our pictures taken at this breathtaking experience with the Butandings (Whale Sharks):
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