whale shark watching in Lila - Bohol
Feeling blessed to have been able to swim so close to whale sharks!
Whale shark watching was way more than just watching. You get to swim very close to them, it was a real experience! We went via an agency called Ocean Turismo on the main road in Panglao going towards Alona beach. You have two different ways of organizing your day. You either
Pay 3300 PHP = 56 euros per person and you get picked-up at your hotel, transportation to Lila and back, the price entrance, a guide (who will take splendid photos such as the one you can see), and snorkeling gear. I usually DYI everything but sometimes it is simply worth paying the price for a better experience.
Pay 1500 PHP = 25 euros for the entrance only.
What to expect:
Pick-up is between 6:45 AM and 7 AM at your hotel or Airbnb. Be sure to have something in your belly or in your bag for the road, because after the excursion you will be hungry! You will either pick up other customers, or if you were the last ones you will embark for a 40 minutes ride towards Lila.
Going there is worth keeping your eyes open, even if it is early for some. When you arrive at the spot in Lila, they will give you some rules to follow, such as not using sunscreen as it damages the natural environment of the whale sharks. You must not touch them either, and have to keep a 2 meters distance. You then take a small boat that fits 10, and paddle for 3 minutes to the main whale shark watching point
You will spend 30 minutes in the water. The guides will do their best to capture you with a whale shark and guiding you towards a better spot for you to see them more closely. Once you get back into the boat, you go back onto the mainland and get changed to get ready to go back. You will see many typical restaurants, but if you come with a guide you won’t have time to stop and eat. The road back takes another 40 minutes, and you can get dropped off wherever you want (in case you see a nice place to eat breakfast, such as at Martin’s Deli and restaurant 😉)