Whale shark spotting in Leyte: making the most of your journey from Cebu to Siargao
Why Leyte?
The Philippines is well-known as a great place for seeing whale sharks but I just didnât fancy heading down to Oslob to be shuttled into the artificial feeding zone surrounded by life jackets and blowing whistles. I wanted something a bit more ethical, a bit more authentic.
So instead, my friend and I decided to find a more low-key place where whale sharks were NATURALLY found, meaning we could see them, swim with them and pretty much just take it all in without negatively impacting the sharks themselves.
How much time do you need?
Timeline
Day 1: overnight ferry Cebu to Hilongos
Day 2: bus at early hours Hilongos to Pintuyan (5am - 7am ish)
Day 3: boat trip with 9am start for whale shark search! Afternoon bus to Liloan (1pm) & ferry to Surigao
Day 4: morning ferry to Siargao (Dapa)
Note: day 2 and 3 can easily be combined if time is short, just be prepared for a tiring day!
Leyte
What to expect
Southern Leyte is pretty authentic Philippines, and pretty much undiscovered by tourists.
We stayed in the little town of Pintuyan, with only 2 guesthouses and no functioning internet in the whole town. It was such a breath of fresh air having been in tourist-heavy Cebu.
How to get there
Cebu to Hilongos (ferry)
From Cebu City there are twice-daily ferries to Hilongos, operated by Robles Shipping Inc.
The ferries leave from Cebu pier 3 at 12pm (midday) and 9pm. For the opposite direction, ferries depart from Hilongos at 11am and 10pm.
This ferry takes around 6 hours and cost 580âąâ for a bed (around ÂŁ8 or $10), which was actually surprisingly comfortable - just remember to pack an eye mask and headphones/earplugs!
We got the night ferry to minimise the amount of days lost to travelling, which I think was a good decision!
Hilongos to Pintuyan (bus)
As soon as we stepped off the ferry, there was a bus waiting at the terminal with âSan Ricardoâ shown on the front. Head straight to the driver and ask to be taken to Pintuyan.
We paid 320âąâ each for a seat (I imagine a standing ticket would be cheaper) and within 3 hours we were in Pintuyan.
Logistics
Where to stay
NOTE: If you are really pushed for time, an overnight stay here isnât needed (see âGetting Awayâ). However, if you do have a couple of days to spare it wouldnât be a bad idea to take it a bit slower to really appreciate!
We walked from the bus stop into the town towards the DD lodge and at 7 in the morning the host answered the door and showed us one of their rooms! They didnât even charge for an extra day!
Organising the boat trip
About 2 minutes walk from DD Lodge is the Municipal Hall where you will find the tourist office, and it becomes very apparent that they are well prepared for whale shark excursions! The entire office is covered in pictures and information.
The details
The trip is paid per boat, so coming in a pair does cut costs here.
Each trip is 3 hours long and includes a boat driver and two spotters.
This costs 2250âąâ per boat, about ÂŁ32 or $40!! We couldnât believe it when that was all it added up to!
We left Pintuyan at 8:30 am, being driven to Son-ok town (10âąâ for a tricycle) and our boat left at 9am, arriving back to the mainland at midday.
Getting away
At 1pm the bus to Liloan arrived, where we caught the ferry to Surigao.
The whole trip cost us about 400âąâ each, and took around 4 hours.
We stayed overnight near the ferry port in Surigao at Gunter Lodging House, then caught the early ferry to Siargao (Dapa) for 380âąâ each!
Travel insurance
Going on a trip? Donât forget to buy your travel insurance; I use SafetyWing which is the best option out there. Itâs super flexible as itâs a rolling monthly subscription, so you can cancel or extend whenever! It also covers all manner of activities, so whatever youâre up to, youâre covered! And the best part is that with this link itâs $10 off your first month!!
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