Why you shouldn’t swim with Whale Sharks in Oslob, Philippines
Imagine swimming with the biggest fish in the sea. This massive pacific sea creature measures an average of 9.8 m and weights 9 tons; about the size of a large school bus! Wouldn’t swimming with that colossal beast be a dream come true and an incredible experience?
Yes, but it comes at a price.
After research on what were the best activities to do in Cebu, I fell on that suggestion many times. Without any prior knowledge on the situation of the Whale Sharks in Oslob, I went there thinking it would be an amazing experience.
This is why you shouldn’t swim with the whale sharks in Oslob, Philippines.
Photo by Jake Gaviola on Unsplash
Table of contents
To get there, my friend and I took a bus from Moalboal. The ride took about 2h30 hours via Santander and cost us about 6$ US.
There is also another bus that passes through Bato. Quite a popular destination these past few years, it is easy to get transportation to get there.
On a strict budget, we decided not to stay in Oslob and rather go up North where the hostels were cheaper. As our plan was to get up early (4h50 am) to be able to see the sharks, the room didn’t really matter. We could either pay 1500 pesos to swim with the whale sharks or 700 pesos to stay in the boat, transportation included. Even if you can’t swim, they give you safety vests. The choice was obvious.
The dorms were on the third floor and had no AC. We had fans but it got quite hot. The ambiant noise of dogs howling, chickens clucking and the heat made it quite hard to sleep. Filled with anticipation for the next day, I was only able to sleep about two hours before the hostel owner knocked on the door to ask us to get prepared as he was going to bring us to Oslob.
Photo by Cameron Armstrong on Unsplash
Here are the rules everyone have to follow:
All whale shark watchers must undergo orientation at the Briefing Center on the rules for interaction with whale sharks.
No feeding of whale sharks by unauthorized personnel.
Do not touch, ride, or chase a whale shark.
Do not restrict normal movement or behavior of the shark.
Do not use flash photography.
Do not create splash when entering the water.
Do not wear sunscreen if you are going to enter the water.
Motor boats are prohibited in the area. Only paddle boats are allowed.
Viewing is limited to 30 minutes.
Maintain a minimum distance of 5m from the head, 6m from the tail (this differs from the 2m from the head, and 5m from the tail stated in the ordinance).
The great thing about booking a tour with a hostel or a hotel is that you do not have to wait in line and file the paperwork and can sit and wait instead. As the local prices are quite lower than what the tourists pay, they do get rewarded generously for their patience.
After the 30 min information presentation on the rules to follow, we were than assigned to a boat and given masks and safety vests. At 5h30 in the morning that day, there was about a hundred tourists dispatched to about 8 boats. The race had begun! We were about 12 people in the boats. Even at 5 AM in the morning during season, the site was quite crowded. I can’t imagine how it would be during busy season.
After paddling for a few meters from the shore and waiting for the sunrise, the feeding started. They would empty buckets of shrimp to attract the Whale Sharks near the tourist boats. These peaceful creatures were way bigger than I ever would have imagined. My fear quickly made place to respect to these aquatic gods.
As I was admiring them, my new Go Pro 7 let me down at that crucial moment. I prepared for that unique moment by buying a off-brand go pro filter for underwater photos/videos. For some reason, the gopro would overheat and the lense would get all foggy.
I tried everything: changing the lense to cool it down, turning it off and on again… I was quite disappointed with my Go pro 7. Probably a malfunction of mine.But now, I can’t really recommend it to anyone for underwater videos because of that issue. This is what my footage looked like after heavy editing (practically unusable).
Because the water was so salty, we would float very easily. For that reason, I would recommend to remove your vest to swim and get a better position.
Even after the 30 mins safety presentation, I was quite horrified to see how some tourists acted. Because the Whale Sharks were eating, they did not care about humans swimming around. We were told many times to keep a distance of 30 ft. between them and us.
Because the food was close to the swimmers, the sea creatures would approach very closely. I had to move many people who were not paying attention, kicking wildly and risking hurting the nearby whale sharks.
The local fisherman, meant to protect these animals didn’t seem to care and didn’t say anything. I was expecting more guidance and instructions from the staff. Hopefully I didn’t see anybody trying to touch the sharks for their selfies but it was a close call. I was expecting more consideration from people towards these unique creatures.
I had a mixed feelings of amazement towards Nature and disgust towards dumb tourists. The 30 mins flied by and soon, we were on our way back to the shore.
After talking to many tourists in Cebu during my travels, I realized that swimming with the Whale Sharks was a controversial activity and may have been a mistake.
Having done my research to write this article, here is why I don’t recommend swimming with the Whale Sharks:
An amazing creature
With an average lifespan of 70 years, some cases have shown to live up to 130 years. They feed exclusively on small fishes and plankton and causes no threat to humans. Their skin is marked with stripes and spots which are unique to each individual.
Largest non-cetacean animal in the world, its average size is 9.8 m (32 ft) and 9 t (20 000 lbs).
They live in tropical and warm-temperate seas and is known to swim near the surface.
Oviviparous, the female Whale Shark produces eggs but the young hatch inside the mother. A female Whale Shark will give birth to around 300 pups over a prolonged period of time. It takes them 30 years to arrive at maturity. Many never make it to maturity.
Endangered species
Because of the impact of fisheries, vessel strikes combined with its long lifespan and late maturation, the species is considered endangered by the IUCN.(source) Officially considered as Vulnerable and Declining, we have to do what we can do to protect this incredible species. Although protected in Philippines since 1998, it is still victim of poaching during his migration route. Domisticated to boats, they might approach shark-fishing vessels.
According to the IUCN, the Indo-Pacific population of whale shark has reduced 63% over the past 75 years. The population keeps declining.
Feeding problem
As the Whale Sharks are being fed by the fisherman of Oslob, their migration cycle becomes affected as they tend to stay in Oslob, where they become domesticated and messes up their migration path and could affect their breeding habits, having a negative impact on their reproduction.
The shrimp they are fed is not as diverse as the food they would consume on their own. Instead of the hundred of nutrients they would eat naturally, they only get a small part of them. This could affect their growth and reproduction. So the food they are given in Oslob is not a healthy diet and many of them are underfed.
Another problem caused by feeding them is that these creatures who have been fed in Oslob now associate boats to food and approach many boats in the wild resulting in them getting hurt by propellers and many of them sustaining deadly injuries.
Even if the tourists are warned by the Conservation programs to not touch them, many tourists ignore the rules and with as many people visiting everyday, an accident is bound to happen.
According to a research study, there were 97% of cases breaking the rule to keep a minimum distance of 2 meters distance between the Whale Sharks and the tourists in 2014. Source
Of the 650 Whale Sharks identified in the Philippines, a quarter of them have been seen at Oslob. 4% of the total have become year-round residents of Oslob and have been relying on the free-feed. It could cause a serious problem to their reproduction and diet if they decide to stay long term.
Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash
As we face more and more environmental issues, we have an important role as travelers to protect these natural and historic sites. The tourism industry plays a major role in the development of the local economy. As tourists, we have a way more important role than we may imagine.
At first, my argument for justifying myself for going was that it would benefit the local economy. With the massive Chinese boats at Sea, the local fisherman have been struggling to make a living over the past few years. With the growth of the tourism economy in Oslob, many villagers now have electricity and many more opportunities.
Even so, as the human species, we have to learn not to use other species for our own gain. Over the history of mankind, how many species have we decimated?
Swimming with whale sharks may seem like a great idea at first glance, but as you research and learn it’s negative impact on the species, you might want to reconsider.
I am in no position to tell you not to do it, I've done the activity; it would be quite hypocritical. I can only warn you on the negative impact and hope you will act for the best.
After all, would you want to be associated with the extinction of that unique creature?
Instead of contributing on the decline of the whale sharks, how about these activities:
Visit Tumalog Falls
Photo by Marvin Galang on Unsplash
These beautiful falls at 10 minutes of the Oslob Whale Shark Watching is a popular spot for photography and swimming in the falls. The falls are open till 5pm and the entrance fee is only 20 pesos.
Photo by Larisa Birta on Unsplash
Take a tour to Sumilon island
Perfect place to snorkel and see sea turtles and colorful fishes, you can book a tour in most hostels or hotels to this paradisiac island for around 50 pesos for transportation. The boat ride takes about 15-20 minutes.
Island hopping from Santander ferry port
If you continue your way down to the southern most part of Cebu, you will arrive at Santander ferry port where you can find many ferries going to different other islands of Philippines. I strongly suggest you go to Siquijor (island of the chamans).
Conclusion
Athough it was a surreal experience, I cannot recommend it to other travelers as we have to make ethical decisions to protect the only planet we own. The only thing I can do now, it to spread awareness and hope that more people follow ethical tourism. I hope this article was useful. Comment below if you would go swim with the whale sharks and why.