Oslob Whale Sharks and Moalboal Sardine Run, Sea Turtles Tour
Description
A tour for snorkeling lovers which contains snorkeling with Whale Sharks for a lifetime memory in Oslob, and swimming with a large school of sardines and sea turtles at the finest diving and snorkeling spot, Moalboal. We provide safe and secure tours with licensed and experienced guides and *insurance! Experienced guides certified by the Philippines Department of Tourism will take you around, so you don't need to worry about anything. You can enjoy a fulfilling tour with insurance! *Insurance coverage requires the submission of the names and dates of birth of all participants for age verification.
Tour Options
Itinerary
We pick up from hotels in Cebu City and Mactan Island. Pick up starts 1:30 a.m.
Departure from Cebu City at 3:30 a.m. There is about 3 hours drive and on the way, we stop to grab breakfast.
Arrive in Oslob. After completing the registration procedures, you can wait comfortably in the dedicated waiting area (BCD'S PLACE) while waiting for your turn to snorkel in Oslob (waiting time is about 30 minutes to 1 hour).
You can snorkel with whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu Island. From the moment you put your face to the surface of the water, you can see the powerful whale sharks swimming gracefully. You will be soothed not only by their large, powerful bodies, but also by their mild-mannered, cute eyes.
Enjoy the ocean view from the window while heading to the next destination.
In Moalboal, you can enter the ocean from the beach as soon as you arrive and enjoy snorkeling!
Looking into the ocean, you will see a large school of sardines that sparkle and create a whirlpool. You can also enjoy various cute scenes of sea turtles swimming gracefully, eating seaweed, and resting peacefully.
After leaving Moalboal, we drive about 3 hours to return to Cebu City. Arrival time is around 5:00 p.m. We drop you off at the pick up location.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick-up time will be between 1:30 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Pick-up is offered only from hotels in Cebu City and Mactan Island. The exact pick-up time will be notified the day before the tour. Please let us know the name of your hotel at the time of booking. Pick-up from Oslob or Moalboal can only be cater as a private tour, so please contact us. (Subject to availability.)
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- For safety reasons, children under 7 years old are not allowed on the tour.
- The schedule for the day may be subject to change due to weather conditions. In the event of inclement weather, changes will be at the discretion of the guide on the day of the tour.
- For insurance purposes, we will require the names and dates of birth of all participants in order to verify the age. Failure to provide this information will result in your ineligibility for insurance.
- Insurance cannot be provided for those who are 76 years and older; however, you may participate if you purchase own insurance.
- The whale shark interaction in Oslob involves wild animals in their natural habitat and is operated and managed solely by the Oslob local government authorities. All procedures, including feeding practices, are conducted under their policies and are beyond our company's control.
Reviews(119)
We had a great time with our tour guide Norvina and our driver Nino, they were very patient with us and explained everything.. Swimming the Whale Shark, Sardins run and the Sea Turtles was a fantastic experience.. it was worth the wait, the travel and the expenses.. I would do it again..
We had a wonderful time with Farrah our guide and Nino our driver, they were both friendly and very helpful. The tour ran seamlessly, they arrived promptly at 3am to pick us up from our hotel, explained how long the drive would take and what would happen on arrival to snorkel with the whale sharks. The next part was just as good, snorkelling with the sea turtles and sardines. Farrah helped to arrange for us to get food from a local restaurant and she gave us recommendations of what Filipino food to try. I would definitely do another tour with Farrah and Nino when we come back to Cebu.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are so happy to hear that you had a memorable time with our guide and driver. We will make sure to pass along your kind words to them, and look forward to seeing you again in Cebu for another fun tour!
Let me be straight with you. Pickup was on time at 2:30 AM. The guide was professional. The driver got us there. These guys did their job and deserve to be tipped. Everything else was an equipment disaster. The GoPro rental froze mid-video, shut off repeatedly, and destroyed what should have been extraordinary whale shark footage. I have the freeze on video. I kept it as evidence. Don’t rent their GoPro. Bring your own camera — this moment deserves it. The mask and snorkel at Moalboal were defective. Mask leaked constantly. I have scuba experience so I could clear it — but I spent my entire sardine run and turtle session clearing water instead of watching millions of sardines spiral around me. A child’s snorkel set handed to a paying adult. The fins cost 100 PHP extra and were so worn they didn’t flex — they folded in the water. Completely useless. Everything is a paid add-on. Snorkel. Fins. GoPro. Lunch. Budget for it and bring your own gear. Here’s what’s real — the whale sharks at Oslob are extraordinary. The sardine run at Panagsama delivers everything people say. Sea turtles in the same water, 20 meters from shore. The experiences themselves are worth doing. Just don’t trust their equipment with your memories. Bring your own everything. Tip the guide and driver. Leave the GoPro on the boat. One genuine bright spot — a young girl named Myra at Moalboal beach selling souvenirs. Persistent in the best possible way, genuinely funny, and called this bearded American “Santa Claus” for the entire visit. She made a rough day better. If you see her — buy something. Tell her Santa Claus sent you.
Thank you for taking the time to share such detailed feedback with us. We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the overall activities and that you are satisfied with our guide and driver's professional service throughout the day. At the same time, we’re truly sorry to hear about the issues you experienced with the rental equipment. Your comments regarding the GoPro, mask, snorkel, and fins are taken seriously, and we will review these carefully with our team and suppliers to improve the quality and maintenance of the equipment we provide. We appreciate your honest feedback, as it helps us improve future experiences for our guests.
We were given a great tour by Mae, our tour guide. While the pick up time in Cebu City was early, (around 3am), it was well worth it! It took about 4 hours to get down to the Whale Shark stop in Oslob. The whale sharks are fed by a few of the tour operators and you can get fairly close to them! At this time of year, there were only a few there but we were able to get lots of pictures with them and saw them as much as we wanted! The second stop was about another 2 hour drive away in Moalboal. This stop had a lot of naturally present sea turtles and sardines that were very impressive. Our snorkel guide was exceptional and helped us get pictures of us diving right next to the turtles! He even brought over an octopus for us to hold in our hands! While the travelling was long, the staff was very friendly and we were able to stop for planned food and bathroom breaks. They speak great English and assisted us with all the equipment provided. I would highly recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that Mae and the rest of the team helped make your experience memorable despite the long travel time. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Cebu soon!
I was so impressed to be able to enter the ocean with whale sharks and experience their size and dynamics firsthand. I was also really happy to see moal boals and sea turtles up close, probably because the ocean is beautiful. I recommend renting a GoPro. Including travel time (I didn't recommend it because it won't come back if you drop your phone), I found it commensurately moving, although I'm held captive for a long time.
このたびはFun Groupのツアーにご参加いただき、誠にありがとうございました！満足度の高い1日だったとのお言葉、スタッフ一同とても嬉しく思います。またセブ島にお越しの際は、ぜひ弊社の異なるツアーにもご参加ください。また違うセブの一面が楽しめるかと思います。
Great day. We did exactly as described on the listing. Even though I rated this as a 5, there are things everyone should understand. The entire day lasted almost 16 hours - from 2 AM to past 5:30 pm. This could be improved by giving people a set amount of time at lunch and at rest stops. People took advantage of no set time, and the rest of us had to suffer while we waited. The guide was efficient at the stops in telling us what to do. What would have been nice is a little more commentary as we passed things on this incredibly long ride. I know this wasn't specified, but it would have made the day go by faster. The experience with the whale sharks was quite an adventure. But is is somewhat ruined by the massive number of people in the water that kick and push you and also by the scuba divers under the sharks sending up constant bubbles so you can't see. The scuba divers seemed uninterested in the sharks - just in taking pictures of themselves.
Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback with us. We’re happy to hear that you enjoyed the overall experience. We also truly appreciate your constructive comments regarding the long travel day, waiting times during stops, and the experience at the whale shark site. Your suggestions are very valuable, and we will share them with our team as we continue improving the tour experience. We know crowd levels at the whale shark area can affect enjoyment, especially during busy periods, and we appreciate your understanding. Thank you again for joining our tour.
We had a terrific time swimming with the whale sharks, sardines and sea turtles! We were picked up from our hotel on time (2am) and were greeted by our tour guide Farrah who was very friendly, cordial and helpful throughout the tour. The driver Richie was also great taking us to each location. One thing to mention is be prepared for a long drive (3-4+ hours each way, if staying in Mactan). It was a long day, but really worth it. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are so happy to hear that you have enjoyed the day with us. We understand that it is quite a journey to get there, but we hope it was all worth it. We look forward to seeing you again in Cebu for another fun trip!
Bucket list experience! Seeing the whale sharks is such an incredible experience. We especially loved our guide Danny and driver Frances - they made the tour extra special. The sardine run and turtle snorkel was cool too but the whale shark experience really took the cake for us. Worth the early morning and long drive to get there!
Thank you for your wonderful words! What a pleasure to be part of ticking off one of your bucket list. We are happy to hear that our guide and driver made your day even better, too! Thanks again for joining our tour. We look forward to seeing you again for another adventure.
Amazing experience. Great staff. Felt safe. Excursions are good. Whale sharks boats have ladders. Worth it
Thank you so much for your review! It really means a lot to us that you have enjoyed your day while feeling completely safe. Please come back to Cebu again for another wonderful adventure.
Very well organized. May Excellent. A long way. But good drivers who respect the traffic and speed. Mu Well organized
Gracias for your lovely review! We are delighted to hear that you were happy with our tour and services. Looking forward to seeing you again for another fun tour!
