Swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines

thetooshaz
Feb 23, 2019
4 min read

My experience swimming with whale sharks and exploring waterfalls

Yes, you read right! I swam with whale sharks and it was the most nerve-wrecking yet marvelous and breathtaking experience ever!

So we flew from Palawan to Cebu (if you haven't read my article about Palawan, then you must - click here) to experience swimming with whale sharks and to see the waterfalls that everyone had been talking about.

We booked the experience with Island Trek Tours the night before we arrived in Cebu, so that everything was sorted by the time we arrived. The tour included the pick-up and drop-off, swimming with whale sharks, lunch, and exploring the Khawasan and Tumalog Falls all for AED367 (5,200PHP) per person, considering that you are booking for 2.

Day 1 in Cebu, we literally checked in to our hotel at Pacific Cebu Resort and literally spent the first day relaxing at the infinity pool. The hotel had many facilities and some great restaurants to dine at too, so why leave? The resort was the perfect family spot with some fun live performances at night. The rooms were super clean and the staff were friendly, which is always a plus!

So on day 2, we had a super early start to the day - wake up call was 5am! The driver picked us up from the hotel and we headed on route to Oslob, enjoying the views of the natural countryside on the way.

We first stopped at a small cafe, where we had a quick and light breakfast and then we headed to the beach where the whale sharks usually roam around. As soon as we arrived we participated in a brief orientation about when you encounter a whale shark and learned how to observe them without disturbing them. Then we got on to a small boat with about 8 other people and headed out to sea. They instructed us on when to jump into the water, I was a little hesitant at first, but I couldn't have gone all that way and not jump in! So obviously I jumped and it was the most breathtaking moment ever. They are such beautiful harmless creatures. I really underestimated their size - they are massive and they were swimming towards me from all directions, I didn't know where to look. I felt like I was dreaming, the experience was so surreal. Before you know it, it is time to head back to shore. You are meant to have 30 minutes in total to swim with them, but actually, they start counting the 30 minutes from the moment you get on to the boat, so it did feel a little short. I think we more or less had about 15 minutes in the water, all in all, so keep that in mind. Here are some pictures we managed to take using our drone and GoPro - it wasn't easy:

Next, we headed to Tumalog Falls followed by lunch and then Khawasan Falls, a pristine natural paradise. You have a short walk to the waterfall - it gets a little slippery on the way, so I would recommend you wear proper shoes (I wore my water shoes). While walking, we saw beautiful natural water pools that we just wanted to jump into, so crystal clear. We were given the option to climb up to the top and jump into the waterfall or alternatively you can choose the lower jumping points, depends on how adventurous you are feeling. I jumped from the lower point - I guess I wasn't feeling too adventurous. We swam and relaxed for quite a while just admiring the moment. The natural waterfalls are just so mesmerizing, I didn't want to leave, I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

To end the day we stopped at a restaurant for a quick lunch and then we headed back to our hotel. Overall the trip is 100% worth it and I would definitely do it again! I do however wish we had a little more time swimming with the whale sharks.

Here is a bit more about the package we got:

Package Includes:

Private Tour (14 hours duration including travel time, the excess is subject for additional fees)
Air-conditioned car for round trip transportation
Tour Facilitator
Hotel pick up and drop off
Native Light Breakfast
Lunch with one round of drinks (soft drinks or bottled mineral water)
All entrance and watching fees
Boat ride and life vest
Whale shark watching (stay in the boat only) for 30 minutes or snorkeling with the whale sharks if paid add on fee
Trip to Tumalog falls
Kawasan falls swimming where you can go rafting (currently suspended since January 1,2018) and cliff jumping on the second level

Itinerary:

5:00 AM – Pick up Hotel 8:00 AM – Arrival in Oslob / Light Breakfast 8:30 AM – Whale Shark Watching / Snorkeling 9:30 AM – Cool Down at Tumalog Falls 11:00 AM – Set Lunch 12:00 PM – Departure to Kawasan Falls 2:00 PM – Swimming at Kawasan Falls 4:00 PM – Depart back to hotel 7:00 PM – Estimated arrival in Hotel

Hope you enjoyed the read. Feel free to contact me if you want any tips ahead of your trip. Also, don't forget to read about my time in Palawan - click here.