Oslob to Siquijor Ferry/Swimming With Whale Sharks

@Cherryann01

I would like to know if anybody has used the ferry between Oslob and Siquijor

CA I respect a guy who does his extensive homework before travel. To use the British scout motto 'Be prepared' .

Presumably you are aware of the appalling record these passenger ferry's have in the Philippines? Last month a ferry near Coron caught fire resulting in 76 deaths with people still missing many of whom were tourists.

If you decide to travel on a RoRo remember to take out a life insurance policy. I hear that poms are a favoured delicacy of the whale shark..

Maybe I will just do as Jack Sparrow did in in Pirates of the Caribbean - strap 2 sea turtles together using rope made from the hairs on my back and crossing that way.

@Cherryann01

On the tickets question, from what I could find (please check current details with the operators or your accommodation, because ferry schedules in the Philippines change often):

Whale shark watching at Tan-awan, Oslob: you register and pay at the site and get a short briefing before going out, so it does not normally need advance booking. The activity runs in the morning, roughly from early morning until late morning, and the common advice is to arrive early (around 6 am) before the crowds. Tours booked from Cebu City are the pre-booked option, but if you are staying in Oslob you can usually just turn up early.

Oslob to Siquijor: I could not find a regular direct service that is reliable year round, so check these options:

- Road to Liloan (Santander) port at the southern tip of Cebu, then the Liloan to Sibulan ferry (Negros), then a bus or van to Dumaguete, then a Dumaguete to Siquijor ferry. The Liloan to Sibulan boats run roughly hourly. The Dumaguete to Siquijor boats are less frequent, so time that leg first.

- Some sources list a Liloan to Larena (Siquijor) car ferry on certain days and a newer Oslob to Larena service. Treat those as "check before you plan around it", as I could not confirm current timetables.

Tickets: for the short Liloan to Sibulan hop people usually buy at the port on the day. For the Siquijor boats, buy a day or two ahead if you can (at the port ticket office or the operator's own page or Facebook page), especially around the All Saints holiday period at the start of November, when boats and buses fill up. Ask your guesthouse in Oslob to phone the operator for you, as they usually know the latest times.

Also leave a buffer day between the whale shark morning and the ferry trip, so a cancelled boat does not wreck your next booking.