Our close encounter with the friendly Whale Sharks in Oslob, Cebu
Last year (Oct-Nov 2012) Dutchman and I went to Cebu, Philippines to visit the family. This is a yearly (sometimes year and a half) family pilgrimage for us. This year I will be back home again to celebrate my father turning 70.
Our time in Cebu was lovely, it was one of those very soothing holiday. The day after we arrived, we were sent by the parents to a beach resort in Mactan Island so we can relax after a week of city tripping in Seoul. That was a lovely welcome gift. Read here: Chilling out in Mactan at Crimson Resort & Spa. It was humid and searing hot in Cebu so this was exactly what the doctor prescribed.
Then the week after, we went on a road trip to the south of Cebu and the main goal is to see the famous and friendly ‘butanding’ (in Tagalog) or ‘tuki’ (in Cebuano)
Whale Shark (Butanding | Tuki) Watching
For a backgrounder, the whale shark watching in Tan-awan, Oslob is only open until 1PM (7AM-1PM). There is a briefing held before the actual paddling into the open sea. They do not allow getting near to the animals, at least a 5 metres distance should be observed. Everyone is under the supervision of a fisherman. They are very clear about the rules and there are serious fines involved for those trespassing them.
We were just a few minutes in the open sea, which by the way is very near to the shore, when the whale sharks surfaced. We were thrilled! And oh, scared a bit at first as well because the friendly beasts are massive, bigger than our boat. The fishermen said that we were lucky because many of them showed up that morning. On some days, only 3 would show up. There were about 8 of them that surfaced that day.
We were really not that adventurous so we only stayed in the boat. You can however jump overboard and swim along but you will have to pay an extra PHP 500.
Then we got into a real conversation with the fishermen about the whale sharks. This all happened as the whale sharks hang by our boats, floating nonchalantly. You know, the animals are so peaceful and friendly, they just hang there beside your boat like a colossal dark flesh floating on the sea. Nevertheless, it is very good to hear that the fishermen have been educated about the well-being of the animals. They say that the whale sharks are family to them. They are now their source of income through tourism so they need to take care and protect the friendly beasts. Win-win?
We also noticed that they addressed the whale sharks by name, so we asked why and how do they know it’s the one. They said that each of the whale sharks have their own names and because they work with the animals they know each of them by heart. Aww, isn’t that sweet or not? I can also see how the fishermen interact with the animals, you can pretty much see that there is a relationship going between them. It reminds me of Jane Gooddall with the Orangutans.
The Whale Sharks in attendance
So before our time was up I quickly did an inventory of the animals present. I believe there are 16 whale sharks that ply the Oslob-Cebu area and we met 8 of them. So lucky. Here are the 8 whale sharks that we met that day:
Dorian – He is the smallest whale shark in the group.
Eeyore – OK, he must have looked like eeyore I guess?
Shark Eater – He is 70 years old and they christened him with this name because he is a bully, he tends to bite and bump into the other whale sharks. He is also as big as a bus, in fact he is the second biggest in the group. The oldest and the biggest is FERMIN, 80 years old but he was not around that time.
Two Lips – Because he looked like he has two lips.
Ace – I cannot remember why he was nicknamed Ace.
Lucky 7 – There is a mark on his back that looks like number 7.
Bumper – This whale shark likes to play around. He likes to bump into other whale sharks, as well as the fishermen’s boats. The fishermen knows that if they get bumped by a whale shark, then that would have only been Bumper. Haha, so cute.
Propeller – He was hit by a propeller of a boat sometime a while back so he has a scar on his body. Nowadays new rules govern the area. No motorised boats are allowed.
The whale watching ran for 45 minutes and then we were brought on shore. The fishermen said that the whale watching duration is between 30 and 45 minutes (max). We quite agreed that 45 minutes is already too long as it is so hot to be sitting under the sun in an outrigger boat out on the sea.
Beach swimming and snacking
So we proceeded to the beach house resort for some snacking. I brought some cookies from the Netherlands as well as some goodies from Seoul. My mom was quick to pack them up for the road trip. Good thing for moms!
Dutchman and I also took turns swimming on the rocky shore while the parents watched and relaxed. My father was quick to fall asleep.
Rules are rules. But yeah, a close encounter with a whale shark!
Then Dutchman announced that he will do some snorkelling. I told him not to swim further out to the sea but before we knew it, he is already gearing out to the open sea. The marine biologists and a British guy who were sitting next to us in the beach house alerted me that the Dutchman is already out on the open sea and I was like – WTF, I just told this man not to swim out to the sea? How am I going to get his ass back here? So I tried the only way, scream out to him. I really received strange and funny looks from people while screaming, ‘Kom hier terug, het is daar verboden te zwemmen! Verboden! Verboden!’. Repeating. Aaargghhh.
Nevertheless, they sent a fisherman on a boat to get the Dutchman off the sea. You see, you are not allowed to swim in the open sea when there are whale sharks around. This is a rule.
In Oslob they are very strict with monitoring human interaction with the animals. You are not allowed to swim over the demarcation line when there are whale sharks present. The demarcation line is a net with white balls laid out on the sea several metres from the shore. The net serves as a borderline for humans not to swim over and as a safety precaution for the whale sharks as well. A fisherman told us that a whale shark almost ran aground and had bruises on its belly because it swam too close to the shore.
So the Dutchman came back, water dripping from all over his body as he climbed back to the beach house. He was grinning from ear to ear. Well, he was warned and I reprimanded him, lol. But he had a story to tell. Ooohh.
He had a quick encounter with a whale shark!!! WOW.
He said that while swimming further out to the sea, he suddenly noticed the environment under water turning dark and that’s when a big whale shark passed by him, silently and slowly. He was too stunned to even react, but his heart was beating fast. However, he felt at peace with the whale shark which he said was a strange feeling he did not expect. This was also the time when the fisherman caught up with him and told him (pronto!) to go back to the shore.
Too late, the Dutchman already had an encounter!
More snacking: Chippy and Lucky Me
After more swimming, and chatting with the parents, we drove to the other part of the beach area for more snacks. I was craving for the local corn chips that I used to be crazy about—Chippy (the red one please!). Then I saw Lucky Me noodles as well! Ahhhh, I remember the good old days, I want to have them as well! So we ordered them.
My parents does not understand my craving haha. They would prefer to eat somewhere nicer. But this is what I want. The real Philippines.
All of us are not big eaters, so this is already lunch, although we did have a hearty breakfast that morning at the hotel resort in Santander.
My happiness is very shallow sometimes when it comes to food. Just give me Chippy and Lucky Me and I am all set. In fact before we returned to the Netherlands I did a last minute dash to the supermarket and bought dozens of Chippy and Lucky Me Pancit Canton noodles to bring back home.
So now, with our bellies warmed up and the clock hitting mid-afternoon, it is time to go back to the resort in Santander to chill out for some siesta and more swimming in the infinity pool.
Tip: Tan-awan is located at the end of Oslob just before reaching the next town, Santander. There are many logding places in the area but if you want a little bit of comfort, I recommend Eden Resort in Santander (just 10 minutes drive) and Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort in Sumilon Island (located nearby as well but you would need a boat ride to get to mainland Cebu).
Travel Period: November 2012
Destination: Oslob (Cebu), The Philippines
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
Our time in Cebu was lovely, it was one of those very soothing holiday. The day after we arrived, we were sent by the parents to a beach resort in Mactan Island so we can relax after a week of city tripping in Seoul. That was a lovely welcome gift. Read here: Chilling out in Mactan at Crimson Resort & Spa. It was humid and searing hot in Cebu so this was exactly what the doctor prescribed.
Then the week after, we went on a road trip to the south of Cebu and the main goal is to see the famous and friendly ‘butanding’ (in Tagalog) or ‘tuki’ (in Cebuano)
Whale Shark (Butanding | Tuki) Watching
For a backgrounder, the whale shark watching in Tan-awan, Oslob is only open until 1PM (7AM-1PM). There is a briefing held before the actual paddling into the open sea. They do not allow getting near to the animals, at least a 5 metres distance should be observed. Everyone is under the supervision of a fisherman. They are very clear about the rules and there are serious fines involved for those trespassing them.
Of course Dutchman complained why he had to pay more than 3x the price. Highway robbery, he said. He was so annoyed that he almost did not want to go. I told him, the parents paid it already so shut up and get on board, lol. He reasoned out that there is no equality. A local pays PHP 300 and a non-Filipino pays PHP 1,000 (EUR 18). Oh well.
Now, off to the open sea to see some whale sharks.
We were just a few minutes in the open sea, which by the way is very near to the shore, when the whale sharks surfaced. We were thrilled! And oh, scared a bit at first as well because the friendly beasts are massive, bigger than our boat. The fishermen said that we were lucky because many of them showed up that morning. On some days, only 3 would show up. There were about 8 of them that surfaced that day.
We were really not that adventurous so we only stayed in the boat. You can however jump overboard and swim along but you will have to pay an extra PHP 500.
Other local tourists arrived as well.
Those round stuff on the sides that look like eyes are not the whale shark's eyes, they are their noses.
The fishermen feed them with plankton.
We also noticed that they addressed the whale sharks by name, so we asked why and how do they know it’s the one. They said that each of the whale sharks have their own names and because they work with the animals they know each of them by heart. Aww, isn’t that sweet or not? I can also see how the fishermen interact with the animals, you can pretty much see that there is a relationship going between them. It reminds me of Jane Gooddall with the Orangutans.
The Whale Sharks in attendance
So before our time was up I quickly did an inventory of the animals present. I believe there are 16 whale sharks that ply the Oslob-Cebu area and we met 8 of them. So lucky. Here are the 8 whale sharks that we met that day:
Dorian – He is the smallest whale shark in the group.
Eeyore – OK, he must have looked like eeyore I guess?
Shark Eater – He is 70 years old and they christened him with this name because he is a bully, he tends to bite and bump into the other whale sharks. He is also as big as a bus, in fact he is the second biggest in the group. The oldest and the biggest is FERMIN, 80 years old but he was not around that time.
Two Lips – Because he looked like he has two lips.
Ace – I cannot remember why he was nicknamed Ace.
Lucky 7 – There is a mark on his back that looks like number 7.
Bumper – This whale shark likes to play around. He likes to bump into other whale sharks, as well as the fishermen’s boats. The fishermen knows that if they get bumped by a whale shark, then that would have only been Bumper. Haha, so cute.
Propeller – He was hit by a propeller of a boat sometime a while back so he has a scar on his body. Nowadays new rules govern the area. No motorised boats are allowed.
The whale watching ran for 45 minutes and then we were brought on shore. The fishermen said that the whale watching duration is between 30 and 45 minutes (max). We quite agreed that 45 minutes is already too long as it is so hot to be sitting under the sun in an outrigger boat out on the sea.
Beach swimming and snacking
So we proceeded to the beach house resort for some snacking. I brought some cookies from the Netherlands as well as some goodies from Seoul. My mom was quick to pack them up for the road trip. Good thing for moms!
Dutchman and I also took turns swimming on the rocky shore while the parents watched and relaxed. My father was quick to fall asleep.
Rules are rules. But yeah, a close encounter with a whale shark!
Then Dutchman announced that he will do some snorkelling. I told him not to swim further out to the sea but before we knew it, he is already gearing out to the open sea. The marine biologists and a British guy who were sitting next to us in the beach house alerted me that the Dutchman is already out on the open sea and I was like – WTF, I just told this man not to swim out to the sea? How am I going to get his ass back here? So I tried the only way, scream out to him. I really received strange and funny looks from people while screaming, ‘Kom hier terug, het is daar verboden te zwemmen! Verboden! Verboden!’. Repeating. Aaargghhh.
Nevertheless, they sent a fisherman on a boat to get the Dutchman off the sea. You see, you are not allowed to swim in the open sea when there are whale sharks around. This is a rule.
You see the small white ball on the water? That is the demarcation line. No one is allowed to swim further out to the sea when the whale sharks are around.
In Oslob they are very strict with monitoring human interaction with the animals. You are not allowed to swim over the demarcation line when there are whale sharks present. The demarcation line is a net with white balls laid out on the sea several metres from the shore. The net serves as a borderline for humans not to swim over and as a safety precaution for the whale sharks as well. A fisherman told us that a whale shark almost ran aground and had bruises on its belly because it swam too close to the shore.
So the Dutchman came back, water dripping from all over his body as he climbed back to the beach house. He was grinning from ear to ear. Well, he was warned and I reprimanded him, lol. But he had a story to tell. Ooohh.
He had a quick encounter with a whale shark!!! WOW.
He said that while swimming further out to the sea, he suddenly noticed the environment under water turning dark and that’s when a big whale shark passed by him, silently and slowly. He was too stunned to even react, but his heart was beating fast. However, he felt at peace with the whale shark which he said was a strange feeling he did not expect. This was also the time when the fisherman caught up with him and told him (pronto!) to go back to the shore.
Too late, the Dutchman already had an encounter!
More snacking: Chippy and Lucky Me
After more swimming, and chatting with the parents, we drove to the other part of the beach area for more snacks. I was craving for the local corn chips that I used to be crazy about—Chippy (the red one please!). Then I saw Lucky Me noodles as well! Ahhhh, I remember the good old days, I want to have them as well! So we ordered them.
My parents does not understand my craving haha. They would prefer to eat somewhere nicer. But this is what I want. The real Philippines.
All of us are not big eaters, so this is already lunch, although we did have a hearty breakfast that morning at the hotel resort in Santander.
My happiness is very shallow sometimes when it comes to food. Just give me Chippy and Lucky Me and I am all set. In fact before we returned to the Netherlands I did a last minute dash to the supermarket and bought dozens of Chippy and Lucky Me Pancit Canton noodles to bring back home.
So now, with our bellies warmed up and the clock hitting mid-afternoon, it is time to go back to the resort in Santander to chill out for some siesta and more swimming in the infinity pool.
Tip: Tan-awan is located at the end of Oslob just before reaching the next town, Santander. There are many logding places in the area but if you want a little bit of comfort, I recommend Eden Resort in Santander (just 10 minutes drive) and Sumilon Bluewater Island Resort in Sumilon Island (located nearby as well but you would need a boat ride to get to mainland Cebu).
Travel Period: November 2012
Destination: Oslob (Cebu), The Philippines
Keep in touch and follow me on Facebook: Travel & Lifestyle Diaries by Dutched Pinay Travels
Happy Travels! Enjoy Life =)
