Cebu Trip: Whale Shark 'Butanding' Encounter in Oslob
I hurriedly finished my work and delegated tasks to my peers. I also made sure that all my client sessions were in place before I left. I clocked out early so I could meet up with my friends outside. We were going to see the whale sharks (butanding in Tagalog or tuki in Bisaya) in Oslob, Cebu!
Whale Shark Sighting in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines
December 23, 2011
Drew’s Butanding or Tuki Encounter
photo by Doi
I'm really lucky that my day job has a little flexibility when it comes to special requests whenever the need arises. So long as I don't compromise the deliverables, then all is well.
We arrived at the South Bus Terminal station around 3:30am and the bus left after 15 minutes. It was only a 3-hour ride – a quick nap that wasn’t even enough since I didn’t have any rest.
Entrance to the resort in Cebu's Tanawan, Oslob, for whale shark watching
Whale Sharks in Tan-awan, Oslob, Cebu, Philippines
We reached Tan-awan in Oslob and arrived at the resort where we could pay the fees so we could watch the whale sharks in Cebu. There’s no actual name of the resort, it was simply a sign that says Whale Shark Watching, The Ultimate Experience with the “Gentle Giants”.
A number of clients were already at the area and only a few meters from the shore, we could already see the whale sharks appearing from the surface!
boats
After preparing our swimming gear and a bit of briefing, we hired one of the boats and headed to the area where the boatmen and whale sharks converged.
“Just wait and they’ll simply appear.” according to my guide. True enough, they did.
waiting to be fed
photo by Edgar
I immediately went into the water so I could swim with these beautiful creatures. I was excited when they came inches close that I could touch them if no one watched! Actually, nobody was really watching and I could surely pat these whale sharks but we were advised to stay clear a few feet away.
‘Gentle giants’ following a fisherman with shrimps
photo by Edgar
These whale shark sightings in Oslob have been around for quite some time already. There’s about 14 or 15 of them in their area which have grown to be the fishermen’s ‘pets’.
When Edwin shared this piece of information to us, I knew I had to see it for myself. I had a trip to Legazpi that was cancelled since I had other commitments. I was planning to go to Donsol in Sorsogon to see the whalesharks but I didn’t realize that they also exist here in Cebu! What’s even nicer was that you don’t have to go searching for them as they’ll normally appear right away!
Look but don’t touch!
photo by Doi
After 40 minutes or so, we finished our swim and headed back to shore. I didn't realize how exhausted I was, I had to take my rash guard off because I felt hot inside (not that kind of hot) and had difficulty breathing. A small bottled water would’ve sufficed to replenish some energy.
Edcel’s close encounter with the Tuki
photo by Doi
It's incredible to witness the relationship formed between these creatures and the fishermen which was evident with the way they interacted with each other. It was a surreal experience and I’m glad to have done this before the year ended.
I was told by my boatman that these creatures suddenly appeared and kept bugging them for food. Here’s an awesome photo set online showing how beautiful this close encounter with whale sharks in Oslob are: In the shallows: The never-before-seen moment fishermen feed shrimp to giant whale sharks by HAND
whalesharks as big as 27 feet
photo by Doi
NOTE: We were advised that the fishermen and caretakers are working on implementing policies to protect these whale sharks as this attraction is gaining more popularity. Soon enough, this will become a major destination in Cebu with all the media attention it's getting. The boatmen are careful in making sure they take good care of the creatures but there are circumstances that we cannot prevent. "The process of feeding (the butandings) is altering the natural process of the ecosystem and our presence near them is giving them stress so they might die." A friend who dives said. The situation their now is very alarming..."
For added information, here's an article by Elson Aca about the whale shark activity in Tan-awan Oslob: Grooming a Disaster?
Instructions when swimming with the butandings
Whale Shark Code of Conduct
Gathering more information online, here's a code of conduct that everyone must be aware of when swimming with these animals. (Source - WhaleSharkProject.org)
- Do not attempt to touch, ride, or chase a Whale Shark
- Do not restrict normal movement or behavior of the Shark
- Maintain a minimum distance of 3 meters from the Whale Shark
- Do not undertake flash photography
- Do not use underwater motorized diver propulsions
These whale sharks are prone to hitting the small boats where the fishermen are feeding them and they tend to hurt themselves when doing so. Stay still if the whale shark approaches you and be careful you don't bump into them. As much as I was hyped to touch these creatures, I didn't do so. Let's all practice discipline and help each other safeguard these animals so please follow instructions. Here's the whale shark code
Whale Shark Video in Oslob, Cebu
Here's a video of these whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu edited by yours truly.
Thanks to Doi and Edgar for the photos & video!
How to Get There
- Ride a bus going to Oslob at the South Bus Terminal. Advise the conductor to drop you off at the Barangay Hall in Tan-awan. It's about a 3-hour ride.
- Walk a few steps back from the barangay hall and look for a blue gate with the 'Whale Shark Watching' sign just beside the road.
- Go inside the resort and then pay the fees.
Tip: Go there before 4pm, before it gets dark. Best to drop by on would be weekdays when there's not much people around.
Expenses:
Air conditioned bus Fare from Cebu South Bus Terminal to Tan-awan, Oslob: 156 Php
Entrance Fee: 100 Php
Boat Fee for 40 minutes: 200 Php per person
Snorkelling Gear with Flippers: 100 Php
Bus back to Cebu City: 156 Php
*Fees may change soon when stricter regulations are implemented.
UPDATE: It's sad to hear this news about 2 whale sharks in Oslob that were injured by a spear and a motorboat, definitely an accident waiting to happen. Hope everything's well, please read through the article and follow rules when you visit the town to watch these creatures. Here's the article by Cebu Daily News for reference: 2 Whale Sharks Injured by Spear and Motor Boat
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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines and the rest of Asia. He just started his backpacking trip across Southeast Asia in order to live a life of a digital nomad. Read more about the beginning of his delusions of grandeur here.
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Tags:
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oh wow. i didn't know there were also in cebu! they're on my bucket list for 2012. cool! and yeah, they should regulate tourist activity with these creatures. but yes, very cool!
paul | walkflypinoy recently posted..Best of the Best Travel Experiences of 2011
I envy you all! Hehe mukhang 'Gentle Giants' nga sila. I don't think na matatakot ako to play with them kung sakali
Be a responsible visitor, ika nga 
I appreciate the reminder you wrote in this post, Ed. Medyo nakakatakot nga na maging major tourist destination ang Oslob, pero kung maging responsible visitors tayong lahat magiging ok naman
Upload the video na dali!!!!
ito na naman, may reason na naman bumalik ng Cebu, kung sakaling bigla ako tupakin at bumili ng ticket papunta dyan, samahan nyo naman ulit ako...pero puro dagat ang aatupagin ko hahaha....
@Paul: Didn't know as well! Drop by Cebu one of these days!
@Micamyx: We all need to be reminded to also be aware of the consequences. Part of my way to help out kahit papaano sa responsableng turismo.
The video is up na!
@Jerome: Dami ngang reason to go back! hehe. sure, sasamahan ka namin! at para naman magamit natin underwater camera mo! hehe
Wow , i need to experience this activity . Swimming together with tuki ! Never thought we have whaleshark here in Cebu . I though sa sorsogon lang ... Thanks for posting Ed
waaah...lami na kaayo anha diha.
Happy New Year Ed!
really good to have a thriving site for whale shark viewing in Cebu. this will be a great add to Cebu's popularity in other countries. best thing is that fishermen are already setting up policies on handling tourists to optimize experience with the idea of protecting the whale sharks. i didn't know that there are already about 14-15 in that area.
I think ang 27ft ang nagfollow sa boat. Imagine if nagtantrums siya kay wala lawgi, tuwad ang boat ahaha
hi! how much is the all expenses for the trip per head?is there any place to stay with if we prefr overnyt?
@Montana: I thought so too! That's why I was really excited to see them up close in our own backyard!
@nathalie: agi na diri nath! happy new year!
@dong ho: Yes, I hope they have stricter policies next time for everyone to see these creatures without harming them.
Yep, crazy that there's about 14 or so! We only saw about 5 and the best part is that they're the ones who come to us. Not the other way around.
@The Wandering Couple: Grabe ang 27 feet! hahaha. saonz. luoys sad sa isda magtantrums. haha
@trezha: hi, I provided the breakdown of expenses (minus the trip back to Cebu) total would be around 700 all in all. not too sure if there's a place to stay at the actual resort. they have cottages though.
Your pink flippers FTW! Haha! Astig ulit ng video Ed! Congrats to you and Doi for capturing those precious moments.
wow nakakainggit . pero parang nakakatakot ang laki kasi.
ganda nung song! ganda nung vid! gusto ko din gawin yan sa susunod!!!! ! =)
@Drew: haha! didn't mention the pink flippers na cause it would be too long of an entry already. haha. thanks to doi for the camera! will buy my own na dapat next year! hehe
@chin: nakakatakot when you think about it but they're really gentle creatures! pangarap ko toh sa Donsol.
@ian: thanks ian! drop by Cebu uli!
Hoist unsa nga camera gigamit ni doi?saba unta ka oi para kuyog ming cindy...
okay then,thank u so much for ur time!
@Logann: haha. Ixus ra ni na Camera point and shoot - nipalit sya ug kanang 150 pesos na digipac or aquapac man ata toh sa JB sports sa SM. Pero ang kanang mas klaro na camera kay kanang Canon na D10 (waterproof). mubalik nya ko na mas arang-arang na camera kay hasul kaayo ang katung digipac. heheh
@trezha: no prob!
Oh how awesome... Sana nga ma-limit tourist activities to protect these creatures. And love the Jack Johnson scoring
We are going there next week! I'm so excited!!! :p
@gayE: thanks for watching the video. hopefully they'll act on it fast.
@James: enjoy!
I did the encounter in Donsol, though the experience was really incredible, you cant help but be sad how touristy the place was and most of the rules were not followed strictly. For one whaleshark, you have to compete with other about 30 tourists to swim with them. Good to know there are sightings in Oslob, and definitely will be on the list if i will be back in Cebu.
amazing ang mura lang, compared sa butanding watching sa donsol!
puntahan ko yan sa Feb, at least sana andun pa sila =)
@Mc: Yeah, we just need to have stricter rules cause sometimes we can get caught up with our emotions because we're so near these beautiful creatures. Thanks for dropping by!
@chyng: yep, mura pa ngayon, sana ganun pa rin ka mura next year.
Di ko alam ito ah! I suppose this one in Cebu has less tourists than Donsol. Is there a particular season for watching these whale sharks there?
That was a sexy close encounter! <3 Truly a magical moment. Brings tears to my eyes.
Now ko lang nalaman na meron din pala nito sa Cebu. I salute you for observing the rules even though you wanted to touch them. I hope everyone is as disciplined as you.
A blessed new year to you Soloflighter. WordPress came up with a year-end post for me and mentioned you. Thanks for supporting my little blog. That's what makes you the blogstar that you are. I can't begin to express my appreciation. A tight hug na lang when I see you (naku lagot ako kay Robx, hehe).
may alam ka po ba na murang lodging sa oslob.. kahit homestay lang.. 2 kami.. balak namin puntahan yan next week eh.. dumaguete kami manggaling..
ka gwapo nimo solofighted ui. cadol ta beh
@The Nomadic Pinoy: Dennis, sabi raw naging resident whale sharks na ang mga butanding so walang season. Sana nga di sila aalis.
@AJ: Thanks AJ! Returning the favor lang as you've been generous din with your comments! Wala nanag blogstar2x lol. natatawa pa rin ako. hahaha!
@rainier: sorry, not sure if meron sa Oslob but there are nearby towns like in Dalaguete or you can also head for Moalboal!
@fall: ataka, abi nako kinsa. Ikaw man diay na Sato! Hapit nako madelete imo comment! simang kaayo. haha
digto ko pag sabado cel. sayang walay underwater cum. har har
@fall: haha. amaw, pagchur dira woi. maSpam ta sa imo comment, dili bya ni FB. free for all. hehe. maayo. balik nya ko ngadto siguro next year. tanawun lang ni.
balik pd ko kanang dili na balod. paita's balod ui mka matay
I've been to Donsol for the whale shark but from your picture, it's way better! great photos btw!
goodluck!
SUPER ED!!! Hanep!
will be going there soon....thanks for the info and the pics....
I am so f*** jealous right now! Why I did not do it when I was there
alam mo ba kung anong oras available ang whale watching dun?
buong maghapon ba?u
@fall: haha, balod diay ngadto? sayang. pero ok gyapon
@Nina Llaneta: thanks, haven't been to Donsol. Come visit Cebu!
@Christian: Super talaga, Christian. Thanks!
@Camille Jade Nayon: No problem!
@crazy sexy fun traveler: Wasn't really aware how great this was. Come drop by the Philippines again!
I have a question regarding sa P200 for boat. Pelay capacity nya? is this per person or per boat?
Thanks! =)
@Vince: boat has capacity good for one person and there's another one good for two. Still, payment would be 200 per person.
alam mo ba kung anong oras available ang whale watching dun?
buong maghapon ba?u
@rainier: the whale sharks are residing in the area so they're there most of the time. Unlike Donsol where they say it's seasonal. Also, best time would be during the day until 4pm when the sun is still up. Please check the article as I've added some more info.
edcel/... kuyaw na man kau ka dong.. cvg japun ka? u have accmplished much and im so happy and proud of you...
=pia
hi ed! how long does it take to oslob from cebu terminal ? ^^
@pia: haha, yep, naa pa gyapon, pero hapit na mawala! haha. thanks pia! musta naman ka?
@hana banana: hi hana, about 3 hours lang. it's in the article: "We arrived at the South Bus Terminal station around 3:30am and the bus left after 15 minutes. It was only a 3-hour ride – a quick nap that wasn’t even enough since I didn’t have any rest." -- thanks!
wow! bale naman nakong agi agi sa oslob..i didnt really know about that butanding watching..huwaw...ninduta ^_^ hello!
Wow, that is a really cool experience. Those things look so massive that to be that close to them would have been a truly remarkable sight. This kind of reminds me of when I went swimming with sharks in Belize. I got so close to them that I could touch them. It was a great time.
Wow. that's an amazing coverage. I love how you documented your experience and I am green with envy. I hope to visit Cebu too.
AS TOURIST OR LOCALS... LETS ALL TAKE CARE OF OUR MARINE LIFE , HERE OR ABROAD... BE RESPONSIBLE...TAKE CARE OF THEM!!! GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!!!
@sendo: it's ok, I don't get to discover a lot about Cebu even if I live here! thanks for leaving a comment!
@Steve: Swimming with sharks is going to be a different experience I don't know if I can handle. -- too many nightmares of Jaws movies.
@Kumiko Mae: Thanks Kumiko!
@alfred: Thank you for the tip. We should definitely not take them for granted. Hope the capslock is not busted!
nice! thanks for the detailed info regarding this trip. can i share your site to my friends?
Hi! We're going tomorrow to Oslob for this, I have a few questions. Do we make a reservation before going? What time do they open? Any contact numbers? My contact in Oslob said they will be closed tomorrow, bummer! So we need to look for another way to see the gentle giants ASAP! HELP!
@raymond: no problem. let's also spread the awareness to practice caution when we interact with these whale sharks!
@Timmy: Not sure if you can make reservations since we didn't. As for the time, there's no specified time. Probably when it's early in the morning when the sun is up -6am maybe? No contact number. When we were there, they're still working on the tourist regulations.
to dive with the sharks ring +63 933 415 9460
sir, would you know if there are nearby inn/resort where we can stay? thanks.
Not sure sir, but there are nearby places like Badian, or Moalboal where there are beaches and resorts.
there is a place in Southern leyte. where in the tourist activity of whaleshark inter-action is active, every day there are 2-5 tourist boat from nearby municipalities are coming for inter-action.. they are operating now for five years and you can stay in the place overnight thru home stay program. there are also lounging house.. the place is son-ok Pintuyan Southern Leyte....
wat time po kayo pumunta ng laot sir, i mean yung nag feed ng whalesharks?
nakakaloka. Kamusta naman ang mga kapatid kong butanding? hehehe! Gusto ko na silang makita. Kaso wla sa 2012 list ko. Hindi naman ako nagmamadali. Nakakatakot yung boat. ang liit liit. Isang lunukan lang. hahaha!
Nga pala, may nakita akong article nung isang araw tungkol dito. I just want to share lang kasi I'm sure makaka-relate kayo. hihihi! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2084508/The-touching-scenes-friendship-Filipino-fishermen-worlds-biggest-fish-man-nature.html
May pinaparetahan po bang life vest itong resort na napuntahan nyo for Whale Shark Sighting? If meron po, how much din po?
WOW...copy-paste from my comment on Adja's wall..nice one Eds...
Hi! Pwede ba bata dun?
do the whale sharks appear there seasonally? what is the best date & time to go there? my girlfriend and i is planning to go there for our vacation.
nice sir... so nice yung post na to.... if ever mag stay sa osbob for one night may maisuggest kba na resort na pwede mag stay mag over night? thanks
Thanks for this post, it's a nice guide.
naka adto naman diay ka boang.mahal na guro ron no.
Hi. I was about to ask kung anung cam ang ginamet nyo..
Then I read this --
@Logann: haha. Ixus ra ni na Camera point and shoot - nipalit sya ug kanang 150 pesos na digipac or aquapac man ata toh sa JB sports sa SM. Pero ang kanang mas klaro na camera kay kanang Canon na D10 (waterproof). mubalik nya ko na mas arang-arang na camera kay hasul kaayo ang katung digipac. heheh
OK lang po ba pa-translate sa Tagalog? Thanks.
Kaya ba ng day tour lang?
Thanks again..
@hazel: sure thing. Canon cameras yung ginamit. yung clear shots are taken using a waterproof Canon D10 (yung kay EAZYtraveler na watermark) while the the rest are using a normal Canon Ixus camera (nilagyan lang ng Aquapac case worth 150 pesos sa JB Sports ng SM Cebu). we were there for only 2 hours so kayang-kaya yung day tour.
will be here two weeks after~! cant wait for the next travel post
hi, thanks for the post...we are planning to go there this month...wud u know the bus schedules going to oslob? thanks...
Hi, Nice article.. I've been wanting to go to Oslob but I can't seem to find any resorts I can stay at. Can you pls give me a contact num of the place where you stayed at?
Thanks!
HI, can i know if its possible to go to Oslob cebu and then ride a bus straight to badian cebu?
hi isay...im from cebu province..its possible to ride from oslob to badian..just ride a bus going to Bato. When u aryv in bato just wait for another bus going to badian. 8s much easy if u have a guide..
hi soloflightEd! very informative and interesting blog! based ako ngayon sa cebu and i planned to go tuki-watching with a friend from manila. her concern is ok pa daw going to oslob, considering after the natural disasters.. tsaka ask ko na din if it's ok that we don't have guides/reservations for the activity? thanks much for the assistance! this is very good for the promotion of Oslob! best wishes!