Whale sharks are another gentle giant of the sea. They are truly massive fish, the biggest in the world, but they mainly feed on plankton. While in Moalboal we hired a car and headed to Oslob. Oslob is known for whale shark viewing because they feed them from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM. In Oslob you are guaranteed to see whale sharks. We have mixed feelings about feeding whale sharks, but there were many locals working at the whale shark operation so hopefully they are earning a decent wage. Here are some pictures:
Entrance sign to Oslob whale shark facility
Whale shark interaction instructions
The boat crew paddled us down the shore so we could attend a briefing. The basic message was that you could go to jail for 6 months if you touch the whale shark or wear sunscreen. Supposedly there are “marine biologists” monitoring the area. We didn’t see any “marine biologists” and they probably wouldn’t be happy about boatmen feeding the whale shark in the first place!
The whale shark interaction area. The line of boats out there is where the whale sharks are. The blue shirted men are the boatmen and workers.
You travel to the whale shark area in a banca.
Mouth wide open for free food
Wide body on these fish
Size compared to a human
Big mouth, small eye
Going for the food
A closer look.
During the initial briefing we were told to stay one whale shark length away from the actual whale shark. This was impossible given how the whale sharks were swimming for their food. Realistically you are about 1 ft away from the whale shark. Conclusion: Oslob is worth a visit if you are in the area.
VIDEO #1: whale shark feeding
VIDEO #2: swimming with whale shark
VIDEO #3: whale shark swim by
SorryOutOfOffice 