I've been looking forward to this for a few months now and since I was scheduled to go home to Cebu on my birthday, there's no better time than now!
So March 29, my dad drove my sis and I to the South Bus Terminal at around 3am. Apparently we just missed the 330am bus by a minute so we waited for the 4am schedule. It was my first time taking a bus to the South so I was impressed by how clean the terminal looked (or probably it's because it was 3am on a weekday). Bad trip lang that we had to pay terminal fee even if we didn't really get to stay in the terminal and went straight inside the bus. But it's okay since it's only Php5, hehe.
I also loved that we got to ride in a brand new Ceres bus, which was only 3 months old. It smelled good, had enough leg room, foot rest and reading lights, kulang na lang wi-fi hehe. Before I forget, the fare is Php155 and you have to board the bus going to Bato (or Bato via Liloan), Oslob. Just tell the conductor that you're getting off Oslob for the whale shark watching.
The trip's around 3 hours long so we decided to take a quick nap. But before I got to my 50th sheep, we were stopped by heavy traffic along the highway. An electric post, which got caught on a big truck, fell and was blocking almost the entire road. It was a scary 30 minutes but our driver was able to maneuver his way out, whew!
We arrived in Oslob at around 730am and I knew we made the right decision to go there on a weekday. There weren't any queues, so after a few minutes of paying the fees and listening to the orientation, we were off to see the butandings!
There's a viewing/feeding area a few meters out to sea where the boats are docked and where designated boat men move around feeding the whale sharks.
We went down the boat for a close encounter with the gentle giants and we were definitely not disappointed!
They are soooo huge, it's truly amazing! Although there were several people following them around, they just went on with their business and kept eating. They're that used to seeing people.
It's so mesmerizing seeing them swimming a few feet away. At some point I stopped taking pictures and just watched them. It's such a wonderful once in a lifetime experience!
Before we knew it, our time's up. Everyone's only given 30 minutes to watch the butandings, to allow more groups of people to see them. I just hope the people of Oslob are able to take care of them really well and that they don't get exploited so that future generations will still get to enjoy seeing these gentle giants!
What to do when you get to Oslob:
1. You go to a 'resort' and they will be the one to lead you to the registration and orientation area. There are lots of resorts along the road and you won't miss them because of the blue signboards right out front. The bus will drop you off right where these resorts are.
2. The resort personnel would lead you to the registration area to pay all the fees. Cost includes:
Php320 - whale shark watching w/ snorkeling (If you're only going to watch and not get off the boat, fee is Php300)
Php100 - resort entrance fee (includes life vest, and use of shower rooms)
Php100 - snorkeling gear (apparently, we got duped because another guy in the resort told us that they only charge Php50 for the snorkeling gear. What's weird is that our resort guy didn't tell us that, feeling namin baka may cut sya dun sa Php100.)
They also charge for underwater camera but I'm not sure how much.
3. After paying, they would lead you to the orientation area. The instructions are pretty basic (you can't touch them, no flash photography, no wearing of sunblock, etc.) but it's mandatory.
4. Next, your resort guide will take you back to the resort so you can change and put on the life vest. Then, you will be led to your boat.
5. You're off to the butanding viewing area!
So March 29, my dad drove my sis and I to the South Bus Terminal at around 3am. Apparently we just missed the 330am bus by a minute so we waited for the 4am schedule. It was my first time taking a bus to the South so I was impressed by how clean the terminal looked (or probably it's because it was 3am on a weekday). Bad trip lang that we had to pay terminal fee even if we didn't really get to stay in the terminal and went straight inside the bus. But it's okay since it's only Php5, hehe.
I also loved that we got to ride in a brand new Ceres bus, which was only 3 months old. It smelled good, had enough leg room, foot rest and reading lights, kulang na lang wi-fi hehe. Before I forget, the fare is Php155 and you have to board the bus going to Bato (or Bato via Liloan), Oslob. Just tell the conductor that you're getting off Oslob for the whale shark watching.
The trip's around 3 hours long so we decided to take a quick nap. But before I got to my 50th sheep, we were stopped by heavy traffic along the highway. An electric post, which got caught on a big truck, fell and was blocking almost the entire road. It was a scary 30 minutes but our driver was able to maneuver his way out, whew!
We arrived in Oslob at around 730am and I knew we made the right decision to go there on a weekday. There weren't any queues, so after a few minutes of paying the fees and listening to the orientation, we were off to see the butandings!
There's a viewing/feeding area a few meters out to sea where the boats are docked and where designated boat men move around feeding the whale sharks.We went down the boat for a close encounter with the gentle giants and we were definitely not disappointed!
They are soooo huge, it's truly amazing! Although there were several people following them around, they just went on with their business and kept eating. They're that used to seeing people.It's so mesmerizing seeing them swimming a few feet away. At some point I stopped taking pictures and just watched them. It's such a wonderful once in a lifetime experience!
Before we knew it, our time's up. Everyone's only given 30 minutes to watch the butandings, to allow more groups of people to see them. I just hope the people of Oslob are able to take care of them really well and that they don't get exploited so that future generations will still get to enjoy seeing these gentle giants!
What to do when you get to Oslob:
1. You go to a 'resort' and they will be the one to lead you to the registration and orientation area. There are lots of resorts along the road and you won't miss them because of the blue signboards right out front. The bus will drop you off right where these resorts are.
2. The resort personnel would lead you to the registration area to pay all the fees. Cost includes:
Php320 - whale shark watching w/ snorkeling (If you're only going to watch and not get off the boat, fee is Php300)
Php100 - resort entrance fee (includes life vest, and use of shower rooms)
Php100 - snorkeling gear (apparently, we got duped because another guy in the resort told us that they only charge Php50 for the snorkeling gear. What's weird is that our resort guy didn't tell us that, feeling namin baka may cut sya dun sa Php100.)
They also charge for underwater camera but I'm not sure how much.
3. After paying, they would lead you to the orientation area. The instructions are pretty basic (you can't touch them, no flash photography, no wearing of sunblock, etc.) but it's mandatory.4. Next, your resort guide will take you back to the resort so you can change and put on the life vest. Then, you will be led to your boat.
5. You're off to the butanding viewing area!
Great article my friend. Visit Oslob
ReplyDelete