Swim with the "Butandings".

During my early grade school years, I was really curious about sharks. It was one of the things I wanted to read about during my many visits to our school library.

Fast forward to the present time, I had always thought that swimming near a shark, or even a whale shark is too scary. The thought of being close to these giants of the sea was one of my deepest fears. 

This year, I decided to be adventurous and dared to swim with these creatures. Together with my parents and fiance, we decided to go to the Oslob, Cebu. Since the place is unfamiliar even to our family driver, I went the safe and convenient way and contacted a tour company to guide us there. 

Our itinerary included:

Swim with the Whale Sharks

Boat ride to Sumilon Island (with lunch)*

Waterfalls visit*

* These will not be discussed in detail. 

Before observing and swiming with the sharks, we underwent a short orientation which was held at the Oslob Whale Shark assembly area. 

The whale sharks usually gather at 6 am to 12 noon in a spot a few meters from the shore. We rode a small wooden boat to get us there. The whole activity took around 30 minutes. 

Even though these giants are gentle, it was still a bit scary to be very close to them. 

Overall, that was a very memorable experience for everyone. It is not everyday that you can watch, let alone swim, with these gentle giants. 👍