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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Whale Watching Oslob - Encounter with the Friendly Butanding

The cold holiday season is about to expire. With the many low atmospheric pressures in our area in the past few days, typhoons are seems to be frequently visiting my poor place here in Dumaguete City. 

Since, Cebu island is not far away from Dumageute City, I cannot keep from thinking what had happened to the whale sharks in Tanawan, Oslob, Cebu, Philippines. The friendly marine giants has said to easily detect the coming of the super typhoon "Pablo" that hit Cebu Island with signal no. 3 status.
These are the gentle Whale Sharks found in Tanawan, Oslob, Cebu, Philippines. MORE?

My first sight was really like woah! It was really a very huge fish. It's like 15- 25 feet. The boatmen told us that they're just babies. BABIES? I wonder how long would be the whale sharks in Donsol, Sorsogon. I search it in the internet, and they are actually more than 40-feet long and DON'T KNOW how tons.
Natural instincts have said to save these marine giants from the wrath of supertypoon Pablo. After the province hit by the strong typoon, only few whale sharks have been seen by the boatmen. According to an Italian-based research group who has long been studying the whale sharks in Tanawan, Oslob, Cebu, there were at least 12 whale sharks that usually visit the place. Before the typhoon, they probably went down 2,000 meters deep in the sea to save themselves from the incoming upheaval. More whale shark reports HERE.

Anyway, I just heard that the place is back to its tourism activities. That means that the whale sharks are back entertaining the tourists. I'll show you how we enjoy my encouter with this wild yet gentle marine giants. 
Early morning breaks in. A beautiful day is coming our way.
With Grah (middle) and Walter (right).
With Grah and Jason.
Finally! We arrived at Whale Shark Point in Oslob, Cebu, Philippines.
We gear up. Those white rooms behind us are the CRs. You can take a shower and change clothes with an affordable charge. (Php 10.00). The life vests are for Php 20.00 each. There are vests worth Php 50.00, but I don't know the difference. It's necessary that you use a life vest.
This is our boat with two boatmen. We paid it for Php 150.00 (I guess). This small boat is good for four only.
These are the Whale Shark watchers. It's still approaching 7:00 AM. Good thing the weather is kinda gloomy, because Sunblocks are not allowed. It may poison the wild whale sharks. Watchers are not allowed to touch these friendly giants.
I'm actually anxious over what will happen when I'm face with the gentle giants.
These are the boatmen who fetch the whale sharks from the deep. They entice the gentle giants through feeding them with small crustaceans that locals called "Uyap.
And finally, it goes towards my direction. The whale shark is really huge. I make sure that I'm secured in the middle of the boat. I'm afraid it might accidentally wiggle its big tail or fin on us. I don't know how to swim, so if this one attacks, I'm surely gonna die.
I can't keep balance.
This is a capture from a underwater camera. A friend who went there last Dec. 12, 2012, gave me her shots.
Whale Sharks are actually not whales, they're really a shark specie.
That's a baby whale shark's mouth. It's a feed-filter type of animal.
What I do is to look at them from nearby. I dunno how to swim.
Because I couldn't enjoy much, I returned to the boat and hmm wait till the whale sharks shows up again.
There! You see that? It's behind the boatman.
After an hour, we decided to get back. We're starving.
This is the humble place of Oslob Whale Shark Point.
These are the four of us. Jason, Me, Grah, and Walter. With great friends in one of the best roadtrips.
With my super tan complexion. (sorry, I was eating when that shot was about to be taken)
I really hope the whale sharks would find their way to the deep. They're not safe near the shoreline. Though the government is trying hard to protect them, we wouldn't know with the private divers and companies who only have their own interest at mind. Goodbye for now fellow bloggers. I am not yet going to post my year-end post, coz it's not the end of 2012. The Chinese still in 2012. (excuses!)



Just me, 
Phioxee





P.S. Thank you to Walter G., and Sugar Calderon for the photos.

74 comments:

  1. amazing experience with whale sharks, miss phioxee... mag swimming lessons ka na kasi hehehe :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hehehe. yeps, when ill have a cute trainer. lol

      Delete
  2. superb experience... hindi din ako marunong lumangoy ...hindi ko din ma enjoy ang mga ganyang activity... pero it didn't stop you ha... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. even my feat couldnt stop me, gens. the excitement was just so overwhelming

      Delete
  3. kainggit naman ang adventure na yan.. mukhang enjoy na enjoy kayo ah. nice photos, too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also don't know how to swim. High five!

    Pero baka mapalanggoy ako kung makakasama ko ang mga whale sharks. Haha. Lupet ng experience!

    ReplyDelete
  5. galing parang ang sarap sa pakiramdam :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Whale sharks, the gentle giants! Truly beautiful creatures :) This year I also got the chance to swim with them when I was in australia. Like for you, it was a wonderful experience! Amazing! (Your trip actually looks more fun than mine, less 'tourist' and more natural with the little boats. I was in a big boat that followed a plane that followed the sharks lol)
    It was pretty brave of you to go in the water not knowing how to swim!! :)
    Lovely photos, and I hope you don't get any bad typhoons come your way.
    Take care
    x
    Bel
    http://b-by-bel.blogspot.com/2012/07/whale-sharks.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. indeed. but i reli didnt hav plans to get into the water if not for ghe encouragement of my frenz n the boatmen.

      Delete
  7. Ang gaan at ang lamig sa mata ng blue water. :))

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    1. ay chalamat po. di talaga ako kaputian. sanay na akong parang baluga ang peg

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  11. love mo din ang tubig nu

    dame naman adventure sa life mo marekoy!
    haha
    di pa nakakatakot pa din silang makita haha

    wow tan ka na pinay na pinay ganda pa din!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. madami bah? parang di namn.mas nakakainggit kaya yung iba.

      Delete
  12. Wow! As in wow.
    ang ganda! Isasama ko sya sa list ng adventure ko this year.
    Superb.

    ReplyDelete
  13. whoah....pwedi ba hawakan ang buntot? ahahha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hahah di nga pwede hawakan kasi wild sila. baka ma disturb sila. chos!

      Delete
  14. Galing naman, so brave naka-close encounter talaga ang mga whale sharks na yan. Sabi nga ng iba maamo daw talaga kaya they were swimming together with 'em. Diko siguro kaya yan, not brave enough and like I couldn't swim too.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ang cool nito. :-) Oh how Iwish to go to Oslob and experience this. Idagdag ko ito sa "things to do" ko.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love those whale sharks :) I saw some in Japan, they are HUGE :) I wish I could go near to them like you :)
    x, Lara
    http://rockteraptor.blogspot.fi/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. whale sharks inhabit mostly in tropical ares. japan is one of their favorite

      Delete
  17. small world.... i just saw a documentary on whale sharks last week. i had never heard of them before...

    looks wild to have been there with them.. im jealous!

    ReplyDelete
  18. encounter yung title diba? minor typo lang siguro...

    wow sarap naman ng experience...gusto ko rin yan....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ay uu sori.encounter talaga yan. kulang ng letter N. chalamat senyor.

      Delete
  19. wow!! sooo brave of you!!! and dream kong makapagswim with butandings... inggit much!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for this post dear. Meron pala dyan sa pinas ng ganyang place na puede mo sila makita:)

    ReplyDelete
  21. masarap kaya silang kainin? hmmm...

    ReplyDelete
  22. this is one great adventure I am dying to experience with. Bago pa ako mamatay, kailangan munang makakita ako ng shark, whale o kahit dolphi man lang.. heheh

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  23. isang pangyayari iyan na hindi talaga makakalimutan....ano pa kaya kung pating ang maka encounter,hehe..

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  25. Natawa ako dun sa I Cant Keep bALANCE Picture... Much more like auko lumanguy at nakakatakot..hahaha..

    Seriously ayaw ko sa dagat, esp andaming pwedeng kumagat at lumason sau.. scary..

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  26. Dapat nagsay hello ka kay whale sharks. hehe. Mag-aral kana amg swim Ms. Phioxee. Bagay sayo tan :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. Wow, an amazing experience. Great photos!

    ReplyDelete
  28. ngayon ko lang nalaman ito! hahaha sarap ng layp patravel travel lang hehehe uve been to camiguin na rin ba?

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  30. ang swerte nio sis..alam mo bang pangarap ko yang whale shark encounter..dahil pangarap ko sya nagpunta kami sa donsol last april 2012 para ma-experience pero so sad dahil sa loob ng 3 hours wala man lang napgakita kahit isa..ang mahal ng binayad namen at walang refund :( buti pa sa oslob ang lapit lapit nila...hanggang ngaun bitter pa rin ako hehe..

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  32. Now that's a great experience :) Bilib ako ang tapang mo, you got in the waters with the whale shark so near..ako matatakot siguro :)

    Hopefully kahit dumami ang tourists ay hindi mapabayaan ang dagat at maapektuhan ang mga whale sharks..

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  35. I'm jealous. I've always wanted to go Oslob too.

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  36. Waah Miss Phioxee!!! kakainggit naman. pangarap ko din na maka close encounter with these gentle giants of the sea. nakaka aliw :)

    ReplyDelete
  37. siguro the best experience ang makagat ng mga pating!! hahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  38. Wow, this must be an amazing experience~

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  39. I still have a lot to learn about places in the Philippines. I hope that I can be there too. It would be great to see the butandings up close. nice photos. Thanks for sharing Phioxee.

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  43. i remember the experience too clearly pa indai...such a beauty...i miss the road trips we had...:)


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  46. I really want to experience! I was able to visit Bicol but kulang ng time to bad but surely I will be bakc and kiss with the whale sharks:)

    Great experience...kabog!

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  51. Grabe, inggiterang frog ako, gusto ko to ma-try!! At di rin ako marunong lumangoy so malamang e same drama ako sayo, mag-wait lang sa boat para makita yun butanding.. Pero ansarap siguro ng feeling na makita ang mga friendly sharks na yan..

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  52. I love to see Butanding :) naku magsama sama tayo mahihilig sa beach pero di marurunong lumangoy ha ha!

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  57. It's good that eco tourism is working in our country. It gives the local folks a source of livelihood while boosting eco awareness.

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  58. Hey there fellow blogger! I share the same passion you have for travelling and sharing to people my experiences. We will be trying out whale watching and maybe swim with them as much as possible. I'm really not a fan but my friend insisted that we should try this so I guess its in my bucket list now.

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  60. Whale Watching in Oslob is an absolute must-try experience that should be on everyone's bucket list! Encountering the friendly Butandings up close is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that you will never forget. So, grab your shoes, pack your bag, and don't forget your wanderer's hat and sunscreen to embrace the wanderer spirit on this unforgettable adventure! It's time to immerse yourself in the magic of the ocean and create memories that will last a lifetime.

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