Whale Watching in Oslob, Cebu (Updated April 2015)

Butanding or Whale shark

Finally, after years of waiting.. I've finally did whale watching but not in Donsol, Sorsogon but rather here in Oslob, Cebu!

South Bus Terminal in Cebu

HOW TO GET THERE

There are three ways on how to go to to Oslob, Cebu.

From Cebu City
Option 1 (best option) - 3 hours

Board a flight to Cebu. Then, go to South Bus Terminal. Board a bus (preferably, Ceres) to Oslob. Fare is P155. Travel time is 3 - 3.5 hours or 124 kilometers. Alight at MB Sunrise View Resort. 

Option 2 - 4 hours

Board a flight to Cebu. Then, go to South Bus Terminal. Board a bus (preferably, Ceres) with the signboard Bato via Barili. Fare is P191 (aircon) or P177 (non-aircon). Travel time is 4 - 4.5 hours or 147 kilometers. Alight at Bato Terminal and board another bus going to Oslob.  Fare in the bus is P30 (aircon) or P20 (non-aircon). Travel time is 15 minutes or 16 kilometers. Alight at MB Sunrise View Resort.

From Dumaguete City

The other one is from Dumaguete City. From the city, ride a multicab bound to Sibulan port (fee is P11.00 only). Then, ride a fastcraft to Santander. The boat trip to Santander is 20 minutes only. Fare is P60.00. Reaching Santander port, ride a bus going to Cebu (the bus is just waiting at the port). The trip to Oslob is 20-25 minutes only. Fare is 60.00 aircon. Then alight at Barangay Tan-awan, Oslob, Cebu.

PLACE TO STAY

There are so many resorts/accommodations in Tan-awan. But I stayed at MB's Sunrise View Resort (one that has the yellow gate). Lodging fee is P800 for non-aircon (negotiable up to P500) and P1,500 for aircon (good for 3 pax). The other resorts are charging P1,500 - P2,000 for aircon.

Contact Nos. - 0906-586-9895 / 0923-297-1176

Whale watching is done only from 6 am up to 12 noon. And so I spent the night in Oslob. The following morning I knew why the resort is called MB Sunrise View.

The sunrise at the resort was simply fascinating and breathtaking!

  After watching the sunrise, the trip to the whale sharks started. The fee for the whale shark adventure is as follows:

Local (Filipinos) -

      Viewing only at the boat - P300.00

      Swimming with the whale shark and snorkerling - P500.00 (life vest and gears   included) 

Foreigners -
      Viewing only at the boat - P500
      Swimming with the whale shark and snorkeling - P1,000.00

Before the actual whale watching, one will undergo a 10 minute briefing about things to do and prohibited while doing whale watching. among the the things prohibited are touching the whales, feeding the whales, putting sunblock and producing bubbles while swimming with the whales.

Well, there is no harm listening and following the rules. We have to protect the whale shark.

The trip to the whale shark site is only 5 - 10 minutes. And you can now swim with the whale sharks! There is only a limited time of interaction with the whale sharks which is 30 minutes only.

Touching the whale shark is prohibited. But inadvertently, the I touched it while it passed beside me. It is cold and slippery. Penalty for touching the whale is P2,500.

Two-thumbs up for whale watching! Even the boatman agrees! Anyway, you are given only 30 minutes to see and swim with the whale sharks.

ACTIVITIES IN OSLOB

Island Hopping - depends on the number of persons (minimum P1,500 - 1-5 pax)

During the island hopping, you can do fish feeding, snorkeling and swimming.

Diving

Foreigners - P3,500

Local - P2,600

Tumalog Falls

Visit the historical places - P100 (Baluarte Old church, Museum etc.)

After the watching, I decided to see the Tumalog Falls.

Habal-habal ride is  P140/pax and the travel to the site is 15-20 minutes or 6 kilometers. You have do a 10 minute trekking to reach the site.

It's Really More Fun in Oslob!

Side trip - Bantayan Island

From Cebu City, you have to go to the North Bus Terminal.

Once there, you have to board a bus going to Hagnaya.

You can choose from either Ceres or Rough Rider.

From Cebu City, travel time is 3 hours. Fare is P200.00 for aircon buses. Reaching Hagnaya, upu have to board a boat. There are only 2 shipping companies operating at Hagnaya Port.

Schedule of trips

Super Shuttle Ferry

Hagnaya to Santa Fe

4:00 am, 7:00 am; 8:00 am; 10:30 am; 12:30 pm; 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm

Santa Fe to Hagnaya

6:00 am; 8:30 am; 10:30 am; 12:30 pm; 2:30 pm; 4:30 pm; 6:00 pm

Contact Nos. 

Santa Fe- 0909-258-2875; 0916 / Hagnaya - 0916-905-2348

                                              

For Island Shipping Corporation

 (the interval of 30 minutes as against Super Shuttle Ferry)

Fare is P170 for ordinary and P185.00 for aircon room. The ro-ro trip is 1 hour only.