Oslob Whale Shark Snorkling & Pescador & Sardine Run & Turtle

The whale shark experience itself was absolutely amazing and truly unforgettable. Being in the water with the whale sharks was incredible and something we’ll remember forever. Our driver, Angel, was outstanding. He has a very calm, kind demeanor and made a very long day (nearly 13 hours) much more enjoyable. He was professional, patient, and genuinely contributed to the overall positive experience of the tour. Unfortunately, the tour guide assigned for the whale sharks and the Oslob waterfall was a major disappointment. She was rude, aggressive, and very bossy, which took away from what should have been a smooth and exciting experience. Most importantly, she did not properly prepare us for the whale shark portion of the tour. We specifically asked her if we needed snorkel gear, and she told us it would be provided on the boat. Once we were on the boat, we were only given masks. The guide on the boat informed us that our tour guide should have told us to rent snorkels and recommended flippers, as they allow you to stay underwater longer and fully enjoy the whale shark experience. This lack of preparation was frustrating and avoidable. For the sardine run, the local guides in the water were fantastic — very friendly, helpful, and informative. However, the woman at the desk was somewhat aggressive with upselling, which felt unnecessary. Overall, the experience itself and the driver were excellent, but the tour guide for Oslob and the whale sharks seriously needs improvement. With better communication and a more respectful attitude, this tour could easily be a five-star experience.

Whaleshark watching and Tamalog Falls was great. Our guide there was very kind and attentive. She adjusted to go to Tamalog falls first before the whale shark opening. Driver generally seemed very kind and accommodating also, but... 1) Couldn’t do Pescador Island and private boat entirely! 2) Lost our life vest being rushed to leave! Pescador Island /private boat issue : Something about Pescador Island boats closing early. First the guide said we should leave Oslob by 10AM to get to Moalboal by 12 noon. A little before 10AM I asked if we have to leave now, and guide didn’t seem like we needed to hurry. It took 2:15-2:30 hours to get to Moalboal. Arrived 12:30 and driver told us boats were closed. We still saw turtles/sardines from beach entry, but no boat/” Island Hopping” in small boat, which I was really looking forward too. There was refund of the boat cost, but it was only about 10% of the total trip cost, even though boat/” Island Hopping” was reason why I chose this tour over others. Rushed to leave issue: My wife was pressured to leave Moalboal hut where we did snorkeling, taking everyone’s stuff. (I had taken our daughters 5 minutes away to use the (only) bathroom, and was planning to go back to the hut.) At the hotel realized that life vest was left at the hut. Their rush was despite being 1+hrs ahead of schedule because of not doing the boat ride.

Great experience! I booked a private excursion for 5 people, and we were very well taken care of by our driver (Roland), Oslob guide (James), and Moalboal boat driver and guide. Roland was punctual picking us up at 3am and was an expert driver having to maneuver down the coast of Cebu. Note: be prepared for 9+ hours of driving, and I probably wouldn’t recommend to people who are easily car/motion sick. We were able to sleep a lot and brought snacks for the car. We had an 8 seater van that was clean in the morning, and we definitely left it sandy at the end of the day. James took good care of us in Oslob, he got our tickets for the whale sharks, and then we went to the falls since our group number wouldn’t be called for another 2 hrs. We had about an hour at the falls, and James carried our towels down and stayed nearby to take photos of our group. At the whale sharks area, he found us a spot in the shade and then waited for our number to be called for us, and showed us where to go. Definitely recommend since the waiting area was pretty chaotic during the busy tourist season. Note for December travelers: the water was pretty choppy, so we were only able to hang off the side of the paddle boat while they had another small boat feeding the whale sharks to pass by the boats in a line. In the 30 minute experience, a shark was led past us 4 or 5 times. Roland took us to Moalboal and led us to the boat pickup. We had a private motor boat which was nice. Our boat driver and guide both swam with us at the turtle and sardine run stop. I had a go pro, and the guide took lots of good videos of us while the driver helped push us down deeper below the surface for good videos. One note for future travelers: I wish I wore my long sleeve swim shirt because I got a lot of jelly fish stings that are super itchy the next day. Mostly from the Moalboal are, but we also felt some in Oslob.

The activities on this tour are amazing. The whale sharks are gorgeous, but you need to know that the whales are getting fed throughout the day so they will simply follow that boat which makes it less exciting and not a real experience as if it is if you will look for them in their natural habitat. The snorkeling stops are really pretty and a lot of fishes. We thought the planning could be better as we already got our lunch at 09.30AM (!) And the rest of the day nothing more. We were home around 1830pm. For viator; please be aware of your drivers!! We had a very rude driver which was driving crazy. Everytime he drove on the wrong side of the road, also shortly before making a turn and you have no idea what is around the corner. We also unfortunately hit a dog who did not survive which made the trip emotional for a lot of people. I know that there are a lot of street dogs and this is inevitable but the driver did not care at all and also ignored questions in the car. He just did not reply to the guests in the car. We really did not have a comfortable moment inside the car as we were so scared to get into an accident. Overall, yes we recommend the trip as the stops are really nice and worth a visit. We just really did not like our driver and the way he was behaving and what happened with the dog.

This was amazing!! What a cool experience to swim with whale sharks and likely millions of sardines! Highly recommend! And bring a go pro for those awesome shots! The boat guide was great in taking sick photos! Our driver Abam was also such a great driver and kept us safe during the long drive to and from Cebu City. This is a must do when visiting!

Unfortunately, of all the tours we did, this was by far our LEAST favourite. We had initially booked a group tour but were advised the day before it that not enough people booked and were recommended to upgrade to a private tour. Our driver/ guide Abam, was fantastic! Such a nice guy and great to talk to, but unfortunately that was the best part of this tour. We didn’t realise that we were being taken to see the whale sharks in a netted off area where they are lured into with food. As beautiful as they were, it was super sad. Then we were taken to see the sardine run and the turtles. The water conditions and clarity was terrible and we could hardly see anything. To be fair, there were a lot of sardines. They were basically everywhere and it was kinda cool if you’re into that. But when it came to seeing the turtles, well there was just 1 turtle and so many people crowded around. You could barely see it as the clarity was so bad and it was so scared is was laying still on the ground with nowhere to go and so scared. There were other guides there as well physically pushing us out of the way so their guests could take photos. The water was really dirty and I was stung by what I’m assuming is sea lice from all the seaweed that wrapped around us while we were snorkelling. The guides for this part were also really good but the experience as a whole was sub par. Won’t be recommending this tour to anyone.

He and his wife participated. He came to the hotel at 3 o'clock in a sedan and we went to Oslob. Driving at nearly 100km/h was a bit scary. However, when we arrived in Oslob, a beautiful female local guide accompanied us and took us to the waterfall for an extra 50 pesos, buying tickets for Oslob, breakfast at a nearby restaurant (thin bread with fried eggs, banana flavor...) while we waited. He was very proactive and kind to me, taking pictures and carrying luggage. Whale sharks are really close and big. It was moving. Another 500 pesos. And it's better to have a go-pro. He took a lot of videos. After that, head back to the restaurant for lunch. We had a course meal (soup, stir-fried vegetables, chicken, etc... with local flavors △) and were rocked by a sedan for two hours to see sea turtles and sardines. Sea turtles and sardines were shown by a local guide (two men) on a chartered board. The local guide is very good at diving. He added it for 800 pesos and took a lot of pictures. Sea turtles are close enough to touch. The sardines are full of jellyfish. Long sleeves and long pants are good. We then arrived at the hotel at 3pm, rocked by a sedan. ※From Oslob to sea turtles, all swimsuits are moved, so it is good to have a rash guard or a wet t-shirt. Waterfall Point is quite cold. * A female guide took care of the valuables on the ground in Oslob (I don't think I can take them on the boat). There was no sense of distrust. In sea turtles, they could be taken on a boat.

Everyone was amazing, respectful and kind! Wilson and Ruby were fantastic snd fun!! The diving and pictures were fantastic too!

Cherryl was such a friendly tour guide and helped us navigate the whale shark experience! The only negative was that the water was choppy during the snorkeling and I was surprised they still pushed us to get in the water.

Long but amazing day. Highlight for me was the morning, where you can eat delicious phillipino food in the beach and swim with the whale shark. Also, the falls are stunning, a must! In the afternoon the experience was still good, just not so great since there were no graduated masks, and since I rely on glasses that did impact my turtle and sardine experience. Thumbs up to my guide Cheryl!!