Swimming with whale sharks Philippines, Bohol
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines, Bohol – Whale sharks are some of the most beautiful creatures to grace this planet, and you’ll be lucky if you ever get the chance to swim with whale sharks! I think of them as gentle giants, or placid cows. There’s nothing to be scared of with whale shark encounters; in fact, it’s incredible and exciting! It’s highly recommended, swimming with whale sharks in the Philippines is definitely a bucket list experience you’ll remember forever!
Here’s everything you need to know about swimming with Whale Sharks in The Philippines – ethical tours to look out for and how to respect these gentle giants, the ultimate travel guide!
Quick links for Siquijor Island Philippines
| Here’s everything I use when I travel abroad: Tours – Compare tour prices on Viator and Get Your Guide Hotels – I always use Booking as the more hotels I book, I get a higher Genius discount. I also compare prices on Expedia. E-Sims – purchase an e-sim with Airalo on your phone so you can make calls and have mobile data abroad! There’s no need to remove your current sim card! Travel insurance – don’t ever go on vacation without travel insurance, you never know when you might need it! Travel essentials – have a look at a full list of travel essentials that I use, including the best power bank! |
Have a look at my Philippines travel guides for further tips and tours.
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Where in the world can you swim with Whale Sharks?
Whale sharks can be found all over the world from Asia to South America; from the Philippines, to Mexico’s Cancun and Riviera Maya, to the Maldives, South Africa, Sri Lanka Thailand, Costa Rica, Australia, Indonesia, the Galapagos Islands, Honduras… the Indian ocean; everywhere, basically! One thing that is certain, is that a whale shark experience will be incredible!
Where can you swim with whale sharks in the Philippines?
Almost everywhere during migration season! Here are some top places to see whale sharks in the Philippines:
- Oslob, Cebu
- Donsol, Sorsogon
- Lila, Bohol Sea, Bohol
- Pintuyan, Southern Leyte
- Ticao Pass, Masbate
- Leyte Gulf, Leyte
- Anda, Pangasinan
- Ligao City, Albay
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Palawan
- Apo Reef Natural Park, Occidental Mindoro
Are whale sharks dangerous?
So everyone around me was freaking out about the fact I was swimming with whale sharks, but I felt totally safe! Whale sharks are gentle giants; cows of the sea if you will. You’ll soon realise when you dip into the ocean and see them slowly moving about. They are filter feeders and they eat algae, krill and plankton (teeny tiny organisms) and generally speaking, are not dangerous to humans. They swim at 3mph (slow!) and are totally safe even though they are huge and powerful!
Facts about whale sharks:
The facts:
- They are sharks, not whales
- They are the biggest fish in the sea!
- They measure up to 18 meters long and weigh up to 20 tonnes and are about the size of a school bus
- They are docile and not a threat to humans.
- They are filter feeders, meaning they eat algae, krill and plankton (tiny micro organisms).
When to see Whale Sharks?
Whale sharks have fascinated me for years and I’ve wanted to swim with them since forever! But I learnt pretty fast that it can be hard to swim with them, because they migrate and you need to be in the right place at the right time; I went to Mexico and missed them migrating by 2 weeks! But they’re worth the wait; its a whale shark adventure of a lifetime.
You can take snorkelling tours or whale shark diving tours and yes, your tour might include whale sharks but you might be in luck to see some other marine life; like turtles, sting rays, eagle rays or even some manta rays!
TIP: It’s best to look up when whale sharks migrate to see if it will coincide where you’re travelling to.
When to see whale sharks in The Philippines
The best time to see whale sharks in The Philippines is around December to May which is when they are naturally migrating through the region. They call it ‘whale shark season‘. You will often be able to swim with whale sharks during this time and will have a high chance of seeing them.
Is swimming with Whale Sharks ethical?
Yes! It absolutely can be, but you need to make sure you do your research if you go with any tour companies. Have a read below on what to look out for! It seems like each place differs, I found Lila Bohol whale shark tours to be good, and I’ve heard Donsol Whale Shark tours are good too. There are snorkelling tours and scuba diving tours you can get involved in!
Unethical Whale Shark Tours
I was disappointed to read the reviews about unethical whale sharks tours in Oslob, Philippines so I made the decision not to swim with whale sharks. I was really sad, but there was no part of me that would have wanted to support unethical tourism. At this point, I was certain I would not see any whale sharks. I heard Oslob whale shark tours and experiences were fairly chaotic with hundreds of people in the water disturbing the animals at once. The poor Oslob whale sharks!
So how can you find ethical whale shark tours? Keep reading below.
‘Guaranteed whale shark watching’ and why it’s bad
How can you guarantee seeing a wild animal? No tour should really be able to guarantee a whale shark interaction. Some tours lure animals with food, which might not sound that bad but it interrupts a wild animal’s hunting instincts, and might interrupt their migration patterns. They then become reliant on human interaction which is bad, because if there’s ever a dip in tourism, the animals can die without the source of food.
Oslob Cebu Whale Shark tours
The Oslob tours in the Philippines guarantee whale shark sightings because they fed them which is bad (read below!). According to reviews, there are thousands of tourists thrashing around the whale sharks in excitement and disturbing the animals. Because of the many tourists trying to get close, they end up kicking each other and kicking the whale sharks with their fins.
Don’ts:
Don’t touch the whale sharks
Many marine species are covered in a layer of mucus that protects them from bacteria and parasites, which you can interfere with if you touch them. The mucus is important for respiratory function and streamlined swimming.
Don’t feed them or interfere with their diet
They don’t get their normal varied diet, meaning the nutrition is poor.
They rely on the free food and stop their natural migrating patterns.
There are concerns about what happens to their social interactions when they don’t migrate.
They can suffer negative physiological and behavioural effects.
Don’t wear sun cream/deodorants/perfumes:
The chemicals can make their eyes sting. Also, consider using reef safe sun creams.
Other drawbacks: Whale sharks can’t tell the difference between tour boats and fishing boats, meaning they can be susceptible to damage from boats’ engine blades or even being hunted.
Swimming with whale sharks in Lila, Bohol, The Philippines
A seemingly new place to watch whale sharks has opened up in Lila, Bohol. There’s not just one whale shark either; there’s at least 8-10 different whale sharks of all sizes!
On one of our last days in the Philippines, our driver mentioned there were a few whale sharks just off the shore of our hotel and asked if we wanted to go see them. Apparently they often swim close to the islands nearby in the morning, and later on during the day they dive down to where it’s a bit cooler. My mouth dropped open and I nearly lost it! I was SO EXCITED!
The whale shark tours in Lila are new and have only recently set up. When we turned up, I was reassured by the instructors who gave us all a 30 minute briefing on what we should and shouldn’t do to disturb the animals.
From what I saw, the instructors seemed to respect the animals and there weren’t too many of us in the water disturbing them (only around 15 of us). They were strict about how much time we could spend near the animals, and I was happy with that. We also went out on row boats so there were no engine noises to disturb the animals.
How to find ethical tours for whale sharks?
It’s important to do your research before booking onto a tour. Ask questions! Here are some of my favourite whale shark travel tips:
- Try to find whale shark tours that don’t feed the animals and disrupt their natural eating patterns
- You’ll want to find tours that spot them in their natural habitat
- Explore tours that aim to see whale sharks when they are migrating past in different seasons
- Make sure they take tours out in small groups
- Consider doing a diving tour, and seeing them in their natural habitat
- Ask if your tour company has a whale shark research programme, as they often can report on whale shark numbers to non profit organisations and the government
- Check if row boats / canoes are used instead of engines
Positive effects of tourism
There are some positive effects of tourism. Whale sharks are subject to illegal poaching by fishermen. A single animal can be worth thousands or tens of thousands of pounds. Their meat, fins, and oil are sold for food, and their skin is sold for bags. Tourism brings attention to this plight, and provides a different means of existence for these animals. The argument is that tourism can protect these animals.
Bottom line: research your tour guide or tour company before booking your trip swimming with whale sharks Philippines so we can continue to protect these animals.
Have a look at my Philippines travel guides for further tips and tours.
Weather in Philippines: when is best to go?
High Season
The high season generally corresponds to the dry and cooler months, which typically run from November to April. This includes the Christmas and New Year holiday period and the months of January to April.
Low Season
The low season typically falls within the rainy season, which lasts from May to October. This period is sometimes referred to as the “wet season” or “green season.”
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in January:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-31°C (79-88°F)
- Number of rainy days: 7
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in February:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-31°C (79-88°F)
- Number of rainy days: 6
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in March:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-32°C (79-90°F)
- Number of rainy days: 6
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in April:
- Weather in Celsius: 27-33°C (81-91°F)
- Number of rainy days: 6
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in May:
- Weather in Celsius: 27-33°C (81-91°F)
- Number of rainy days: 10
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in June:
- Weather in Celsius: 27-33°C (81-91°F)
- Number of rainy days: 12
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in July:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-32°C (79-90°F)
- Number of rainy days: 12
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in August:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-32°C (79-90°F)
- Number of rainy days: 13
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in September:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-32°C (79-90°F)
- Number of rainy days: 13
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in October:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-32°C (79-90°F)
- Number of rainy days: 12
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in November:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-31°C (79-88°F)
- Number of rainy days: 10
Swimming with whale sharks Philippines – Weather in December:
- Weather in Celsius: 26-31°C (79-88°F)
- Number of rainy days: 8
Travel resources for your trip that are actually really handy!
Here’s everything I use when I travel abroad, I strongly advise you to have travel insurance, and the other recommendations are also super handy!
- Travel insurance – don’t ever go on vacation without travel insurance, you never know when you might need it!
- Tours – Compare tour prices on Viator and Get Your Guide
- Hotels – I always use Booking as the more hotels I book, I get a higher Genius discount. I also compare prices on Expedia.
- Airport transfers – I book through Viator or Kiwi Taxi.
- E-Sims – purchase an e-sim with Airalo on your phone so you can make calls and have mobile data abroad! There’s no need to remove your current sim card!
- Car rental – if you’re booking a car, I compare prices on Discover Cars.
- Travel essentials – have a look at a full list of travel essentials that I use, including the best powerbank!
That’s it! That’s my full guide to swimming with whale sharks Philippines, if you find it useful, let me know! I’d love to see you pictures!
You might be interested in my other blog posts on the Philippines:
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