Is swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines ethical? Whale sharks are the largest fish in the world, making them a prominent feature on the bucket list of many divers and marine enthusiasts. However, in recent years the Whale Shark has been classified as Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Many tourists venture to the Philippines and are enticed by the shots they’ve seen of people swimming up-close and personal with the Whale Sharks in Oslob.
However, unknown to many, Oslob and some other Filipino whale shark attractions conduct and encourage many unethical practices, which of course restricts the ability of Whale Shark populations to grow worldwide. This is only one example of unhetical practices you’ll find in regions around the world, such as in Southeast Asia, which is why it’s always good to read more about it before packing your backpack. Check out this post on how to travel respectfully to SEAsia.
Thankfully, there are many alternatives that are quite unknown whale shark experiences in the Philippines which pride themselves on the promotion of eco-tourism. One of these incredible experiences can be found off the coasts of Southern Leyte in Sonoc Bay.
A special thanks to Liv and Lew from @livandlew for this guest post giving us an inside look into Swimming with whale sharks. Keep reading and learn all there is to know about this activity with their full guide!
Swimming with whale sharks in Oslob: the reality behind this trending activity
As already mentioned, the most popular Whale Shark experience is found in Oslob. The site was established in 2011 and now welcomes on average 2,000 tourists a day! Many, including Liv and I, have this encounter as one of their must-do’s prior to travelling to the Philippines.
Upon our arrival in the Philippines, through discussions with locals and tourists alike, we decided that the Oslob Whale Shark encounter was not for us. The reason being is that the Swimming with whale sharks in Oslob experience is one of those in the Philippines which conducts unethical practices towards the animals.
Are you travelling to Southeast Asia? Check out our guide on how to travel Southeast Asia respectfully.
Now, we have not been to Oslob*, so the information we have gathered is second-hand. But, the main reasons this tourist attraction is deemed unethical is because:
- The Whale Sharks are fed vast amounts of krill by the local fishermen. A daily, reliable source of food prevents them from foraging naturally and travelling for their food supply. This means they:
• Fail to consume many nutrients they would otherwise eat in a natural diet.
• Do not take up their natural migration patterns. Whale Sharks are seasonal feeders, meaning they migrate across vast oceans to source their food supply. Not doing so, hinders their growth and breeding habits.
- Having so many people in the water at any one time means people touch the Whale Shark. Touching any marine life is unethical as we can transfer harmful bacteria to marine life and can damage the protective layers they build on their skin.
- The large numbers of tourists bring many boats to the shores of Oslob. There are numerous reports, and pictures, of Whale Sharks with severe injuries caused by them swimming into the boat’s propellers.
Further, engaging with a wild animal never feels as natural when you form part of a queue with hundreds of other tourists and then have to find space amongst all these people in the water to try and attempt the perfect ‘insta selfie’.
*NOTE: Similar unethical experiences can be found in Lila (Bohol) and Donsol.
Read also: Kawasan Falls: an honest guide to Cebu’s most popular waterfall
Whale shark facts:
Firstly, a few fun facts about the Whale Shark:
• They are often found off the shores of countries honing tropical waters, including Australia, South Africa, The Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, to name a few.
• They predominantly feed on plankton and other small fish – not humans, even though they are a shark!
• The largest recorded Whale Shark had a length of 18.8m (62ft), but on average they are 9.8m (32ft).
• Their mouths can be as wide as 1.7m (5.7ft) and contain 30 rows of tiny teeth.
• The average Whale Shark weighs approximately 9 tonnes (20,000 lb).
• Pupping, as the birthing of Whale Sharks is referred to, has never been witnessed by humans.
Why should you go to Southern Leyte for swimming with whale sharks?
For over 25 years, the local people of Southern Leyte have developed a way of living alongside Whale Sharks, without exploiting them for personal gain. Juvenile Whale Sharks thrive in the Sonoc Bay, feeding on the vast quantities of plankton that can be found there.
Leyte itself is not widely visited by tourists – in comparison to its counterparts of Palawan, Cebu, Siargao and other Filipino hotspots. Therefore, given Southern Leyte is quite out-of-the-way you’re guaranteed to be experiencing your encounter alongside individuals who are passionate about the sustainability of marine life.
Our experience in Southern Leyte
Eager to set off on our first voyage, after hearing the success stories of fellow travellers who had been lucky enough to swim with the Whale Sharks the day prior, we headed down to the small private beach linked to our hotel at 8:30 am. We were greeted by Klaus, our captain, who first landed in Padre Burgos over 12 years ago. Since then he has trained many of the locals to Scuba Dive and most notably has developed the whale shark experience into what it is today.
Klaus has a strong ethical grounding, particularly when it comes to marine life. As we set off on the 1 hour trip across to Sonic Bay, on our small boat filled with 8 safer tourists and Klaus’ two crew members, we were briefed on the rules for the day.
Put simply:
- When we first ‘spot’ a Whale Shark, once given the signal we will each jump in a pre-meditated sequence, ensuring our fins are pointing downwards, in order to minimise the sound upon impact with the water which if it is too loud it will scare the whale sharks.
- Always stay 4m away from the front and back of the whale shark whilst keeping a distance of 3m to the sides.
- Do not actively touch the whale shark. Contact can only be made if the whale shark swims toward you and you are unable to get out of the way.
As we pulled into Sonoc Bay, we were greeted by approximately 15 ‘spotters’ each on their own singular rowing boat, and a researcher from the La Mave research institute who joined us on our whale shark interaction. Polly – our researcher for the day – is a whale shark expert. Her role is to clarify the rules for whale shark interaction and to observe any whale sharks we are lucky to see. The researchers are incredibly helpful and are able to answer any questions you may have.
The spotters, put in a mammoth effort, each rowing around the Sonoc Bay whilst occasionally putting on their masks and sticking their heads under the water to look for whale sharks. Incredibly, some continue to row whilst having their heads under the water. A particular mention goes to Baloy – who has spent 25 years operating as a spotter in these waters and as such his ability to spot the whale sharks is second-to-none.
Once greetings were complete, and the researcher came on board, we instantly heard our first call of “whale shark” from one of the spotters. Incredibly, we were about to have our first swim with the whale sharks after less than 5 minutes of entering the bay.
As the adrenaline rush hit, we entered the water and swam, face-down looking for our first whale shark. Out of the depths of the dark blue water, it appeared. It’s impossible to put into words the feeling when the shark comes into eyesight for the first time. Its enormity is astonishing, matched by its elegance as each stroke of its huge tail pushes it through the water. Go-pro in hand we swam as hard as we could to keep up.
The shark would occasionally come into shallower depths, giving us the chance to put our somewhat limited free-diving skills to the test. Thankfully we were good enough swimmers to get side-by-side with the whale shark. What’s apparent is that the whale shark is conscious we were there, but simply did not mind. We were able to spend 15 minutes swimming at a pace with the whale shark before it had had enough food and returned to the depths of the Ocean, out-of-sight.
We returned to the boat, sharing our photos with other members of the group. 15 minutes later, our second call came from the spotters. We returned to the sea, following the same process as before, and spent another 5 minutes swimming alongside our second spot of the day, which was equally amazing. Unfortunately, that was to be our last interaction of the day. We spent the remaining 2 hours of our 3-hour trip searching the waters to no avail.
After 2 hours spent on the boat, enjoying the sun and chatting to the other crew members, we stopped for lunch in the next bay along the shore and did some snorkelling before starting the 1-hour journey back. With the adrenaline from the day still kicking in, we immediately convinced Klaus to run the tour again the next day – something which was currently not planned.
The next morning we set off a little earlier at 8:00 am this time with only 2 other travellers. Our researcher Nat was really insightful and taught us about the importance of the conservation of whale sharks. Astonishingly we had 8 interactions this day, with 5 different whale sharks. The most notable occasion was when we swam with one for about 5 minutes before it set off into the depths. Upon swimming back to the boat we heard the call from Baloy – who was approximately 50m away – that it had come back up near his boat. We hurled over to him and Liv gave him our GoPro. As already mentioned Baloy is an amazing free diver and he was able to spend around 30 seconds at a depth of approximately 15 metres alongside the shark.
Once this shark had left for good, we swam back to the boat. Again, we heard the call from a spotter. Klaus then told us all to hold onto the ropes attached to the side of the boat. We held on as we shot over to the call, which was such good fun. We were then greeted by our biggest shark of the day, at 8m long.
Unfortunately, we did not capture the footage of this, however as we were pelting through the water searching the blue depths, Liv stopped still in her tracks as the whale shark came into sight. Mouth wide open going head to head we were so lucky to take in this intimate moment – before the shark swam under her, which thankfully Klaus had told us beforehand they would do.
Sitting on the front of the boat, as we head back to our hotel for the final time, it was quite apparent that this had just been one of the best experiences of our lives, one we cannot recommend highly enough, nor one we can do justice by writing about. This experience was more than just an eco-tourism attraction, we left with an education and respect for marine life like nothing before.
Best tips for swimming with whale sharks in Southern Leyte
• If you stay in a hotel in Pintuyan, near Sonoc bay, you are able to pay 800 pesos to spend the day on a spotters boat
• Donsol has both an unethical and ethical swimming with whale shark experience. The ethical experience is a little more known than Southern Leyte but is an alternative if it fits your route better.
• The best time to visit the whale sharks in Southern Leyte is between December and April
How to get to Pintuyan?
So, how to get to Pintuyan? We will cover the routes from Cebu/Bohol and Siargao – the two most likely destinations prior to arriving in Leyte.
Firstly, you have two options for accommodation. The first is to stay in a hotel in Pintuyan, or you can stay on the other tail of the island in Padre Burgos. From there, you’ll take a 1-hour boat ride across the sea to reach the whale shark spot. We opted for Padre Burgos and the transfer was included in our whale shark package. If you’re lucky you’ll spot some dolphins en route across the sea!
HOW TO GET TO PINTUYAN FROM CEBU/BOHOL
(approx. 5.5 hours to Pintuyan and 4.5 hours to Padre Burgos)
This is the route we took. The quickest route is to take a bus to Ubay port in the north of Bohol. Buses tend to run hourly in Bohol heading both North and South and you’ll be able to flag one down if you stand on the nearest highway. Buses are the cheapest mode of transport in the Philippines and you’ll pay no more than 150 PHP (prices will vary depending on where you join the bus).
From Ubay port there is then an 11:30 am fast boat which runs once daily. There are other, slower options, you’ll be able to find information online. We paid 300 PHP for the fast boat and docked in Bato port on the island of Leyte 1.5 hours later.
When docking in Bato port, a short stroll to the end of the pier will bring you to the local bus and tricycle station. Loads of minibus operators and tricycle drivers will offer to drive you to Southern Leyte for 3000 PHP. However, we strongly recommend taking a bus from the bus station.
Now if you’re staying in Pintuyan, you’ll need to take a bus to Sogod, before changing buses and heading south to Pintuyan. If you’ve opted to stay in Padre Burgos you can take a bus to Macrohon, where you can then get a cheap Jepney or tricycle to Padre Burgos.
HOW TO GET TO PINTUYAN FROM SIARGAO
(approx. 4 hours to Pintuyan)
If coming from Siargao, it is recommended to stay in Pintuyan. To reach Pintuyan you’ll need to take one of the 5 daily ferries to Surigao. Check out updated information on discoversiargao.com. Ferries leave from Dapa.
Once there, you’ll have to head to Surigao Lipata Port where you will be able to take one of the three ferries that run each day to San Ricardo Port, which is then a short drive to Pintuyan.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Lewis and Liv have been travelling – albeit with a few interruptions from a global pandemic! – since 2019. In that time they’ve built a self-converted campervan and mix up their time travelling Europe in their camper, and backpacking further afield to Asia, Africa and the like.
They have plans to continue their travels for at least two more years – with South America, Asia and Africa coming in the next 12 months – and aim to provide insights to their followers on how to travel the world on a reasonable budget.
Follow their adventures on @livandlew!
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Guest post by @livandlew
Hi Backpackers!
My girlfriend and me want to go snorkeling with the tiki-tiki in Pintuyan. What are the best places to stay to be sure to arrange a tour? We cannot seem to find that much information, but are now planning to stay in Padre Burgos or Pintuyan but accommodations are limited.
Best regards,
Marijn