Swimming with whale sharks.

Country: Philippines

Location: Cebu, Oslob

Swimming with the whale sharks is always exhilarating despite the 4-hours-pain-in-the-ass-drive from Cebu to Oslob. Whale sharks are the largest fish (reaching lengths of 40 feet or more) in the world but definitely the gentlest of all giants. They feed on plankton by engulfing those microorganisms with their colossal mouths that are nearly five feet wide! Very much like human fingerprints, whale sharks have a unique pattern of spots around the gill area which allows identification of each individual.

If you're heading to Oslob for a swim with these marine giants, do remember to be early 'cause the chances of sighting them is slimmer after 10am. If you're lucky enough like I was, you'd be able to see 5-6 whale sharks. Then again, word of caution, too many whale sharks at one go also means you'll be extremely exhausted from frantically swimming and trying to avoid getting swiped by their tails or sucked in by their gaping mouths. Prepare to be blown away by the sheer size of the whale sharks!

No trip back to the city from Oslob is ever complete without making a pit stop at Lantaw SRP for some ridiculously delicious baked scallops and my all time favourite local cuisine, pansit guisado (the noodles in my photos). To top it all off, it's a great spot to catch the last light!

Photos by Ing & yours truly

Editing by yours truly

"The sea is emotion incarnate. It loves, hates, and weeps. It defies all attempts to capture it with words and rejects all shackles. No matter what you say about it, there is always that which you can't." -Christopher Paolini

With love,

Clarabelle Faith