Oslob whale sharks

Oslob Whale Shark Watching (Tan-awan)

Swim with whale sharks lured by feeding, and know the ethics debate first

⚠ Mornings only; pre-dawn start

Hours

Roughly 6am–noon; registration usually closes around 11am (per a June 2026 guide)

Tickets

Foreigners ₱1,000 to snorkel, ₱1,500 to dive (raised in March 2025). Cash on site; usually included in tours

Address

The whale shark watching centre on the coastal road (Natalio Bacalso Avenue), Tan-awan, Oslob

You arrive at dawn, sit through a safety briefing, climb into a small bangka, and a few dozen metres offshore a whale shark rises with its mouth open. Fishermen scatter shrimp (krill) from their boats to draw the sharks in, which is why sightings are close to guaranteed. When one the size of a bus glides past your mask, everyone yells into their snorkel. The feeding has been controversial for years, though: marine biologists say it disrupts the sharks' migration and teaches them to link boats with food, with more propeller injuries as a result, while the town points out that livelihoods depend on it. Plenty of travellers who want wildlife on its own terms skip it for another day at sea.