(Photo by Lars Anderson)
Have you ever been to the Philippines? Swimming with whale sharks, seeing tarsiers up close, holding sugar gliders, and snorkeling with sea turtles and sardines were just a few of the exciting activities I was able to experience. It all began on the island of Oslob.
While the wake-up call to get to the whale sharks was 3 a.m. it was worth it for this incredibly unique experience. Everyone lines up in the dark, gets a number and then waits until it’s their turn. We loaded up in the boat, about 14 people per boat. There were other boats already in the water feeding the whale sharks. Once we got out to where the whale sharks were, not far from the shore, I got in the water with my snorkel gear and saw them. They were huge! They swam up right by me. It was incredible watching them!
(Photo by Lars Anderson)
We then went to Bohol, another island in the Philippines. We had to get up at 4 a.m. and take a 2-hour boat ride. When we arrived there, we saw little tarsiers, which are native to the Philippines. They didn’t do much because they were nocturnal, but they did have their eyes open a bit. Even though their eyes were open, they still couldn’t see us, because it was daytime. After that, we saw and were able to hold sugar gliders. They are not native to the Philippines, but they were so cute and active. They also jumped up on our shoulders!
Then we rode on a boat to Pescador Island, where we snorkeled with jellyfish and a sea turtle. The boat later took us to a sardine run. There were millions of sardines, it was super cool! They swam in tube-like shapes. Then the boat took us to a nearby shallow spot in the water where we saw a sea turtle swimming up close. We saw it eat and come up for air several times.
(Photo by Lars Anderson)
If you haven’t been to the Philippines, you should go because it’s truly a unique experience! Swimming with whale sharks, going to Bohol and seeing all sorts of animals is so fun! You should think about booking your trip to the Philippines right now!
