Whale Shark watching in Oslob, a fair warning.

Oslob, Cebu, 22-24 November

Our next stop is Oslob on Cebu Island, but, as of last month, the ferry service between Tagbilaran and Argao has been suspended. This means we’re first taking the ferry back to Cebu city, which quickly turns a three hour journey into a gruelling 8,5 hours. After a long day we reach Oslob just before dark, ready to dive straight into the pool!

First established in 1690, Oslob became an independent parish in 1848 when the present-day church of Immaculate Conception was completed. The church is made out of coral stone and was burned down during WW2, but has since been restored to its former glory.

Oslob is most famous for its whale shark watching, but first we’re taking it easy after a long day of travelling. The start to our morning is not ideal however. We’re a bit bummed out because we realize some of the souvenirs we’ve been collecting on our travels have been nicked from my bag, during our stay in Hong Kong Kowloon I’m convinced. None of it was particularly expensive, but impossible to replace. If you read this manager at Wai Fan Guest House, I’m pretty sure stealing figurines of gods is bad karma..

We decide not to let it ruin a good time (it’s a good excuse to do more travelling in the future after all) and all is soon forgotten when we enjoy the crystal clear waters the hotel looks out over.

The next morning we wake up bright and early to go whale shark watching and we’re excited. This endangered animal is a filter-feeding carpet shark, which feeds on plankton and small fishes, and it’s the largest fish still in existence, growing up to a possible 18 meters in length!

After witnessing in Zanzibar how crazy (Western) tourists get when it comes to seeing rare wildlife, we’re not sure how today will pan out to be. A few organisations in fact have warned against the whale watching practices in Oslob in the past, but we’re told some big improvements have since been made. In 1998, the Philippines banned all fishing, selling, importing and exporting of whale sharks, and by law, all snorkelers must now maintain a distance of four feet from the sharks or risk a fine or even a prison sentence. A marine biologist is on site at all times and only ten people at a time are allowed in the water. All of this however turns out to be far removed from the reality we witness here today.

After buying a (non-refundable) ticket, we attend a mandatory briefing reiterating Philippine law and are brought to the boats. There are at least 15 boats out on the water at the same time, for a grand total of about 150 snorkelers rather than 10! The boats are formed in an orderly line and another boat (with the marine biologist on board, apparently) throws shrimp near the boats to attract the whale sharks. We’re quickly ushered into a boat with 8 other (Chinese) tourists, who, after we have joined the others, immediately swim away and start touching and even kicking the whale sharks! Lauren completely loses it at this point, and rightly so, but the boatman does absolutely nothing to intervene. Don’t get me wrong, it’s amazing to see these wonderful giants up close, and punching the worst offending Chinese tourist in the arm did relieve some stress, but we both wish we never went here in the first place. Sadly the management is clearly not at all interested in this gentle animal’s wellbeing!

Visiting the muddy Tumalog Falls nearby doesn’t do much to improve our mood today. Cebu Island is a beautiful place, but after having a near perfect time on Bohol Island, we can’t help but feel Oslob has been a bit of a let down, it happens.

After travelling tomorrow from the east coast to Samboan on the west coast, in search of a more positive experience!