Philippines · SARDINE RUN SNORKELLING
A wall of millions of sardines sits a short swim off the Moalboal shore, shallow enough that a mask and fins are all it takes. These 14 trips differ on whether the turtles and Pescador Island are included and how much of the day goes on the drive across Cebu.
Swim with Oslob whale sharks, visit Tumalog Falls, and snorkel with sardines and turtles in Moalboal on a long Cebu day trip.
“Particularly loved all the activities, food was good, the drive home through Cebu City was very tiring so maybe lunch could be eaten on the go. A very long day for the driver and his fatigue was evident.”
Swim with Oslob whale sharks, Moalboal turtles, and the famous sardine run on a long but well-organized Cebu day tour.
“It was very nice to have this tour. I was alone and had a great opportunity to communicate with Mr Nino and Misiss Harra. We could exchange a lot of information and experiences. They were so kind, polite and helpful in every situation. I enjoyed the tour and can recommend Ms Harra and Mr Nino to everyone. They provided me a towel, shampoo and soap to wash me after snorkelling. Great service!”
Review of Cebu’s 16-hour whale shark, Tumalog Falls, Sumilon Sandbar, Pescador Island, sardine, and turtle tour.
“Our tour of Cebu with Edna and Richard was absolutely outstanding. The day was incredibly action-packed yet impressively well organized, even over 16+ hours. From the unforgettable whale shark encounter to the sardine run, TumaRead more”
See whale sharks in Oslob, swim at Kawasan Falls, and snorkel with sardines and turtles in Moalboal on one full-day Cebu tour.
“We had the most incredible day. We were picked up from the airport at 2am and then commenced the journey to Oslob. Swimming with the whalesharks was absolutely incredible. We then headed to Kawasan Falls where we added canyoneering to our tour (100% would recommend doing this, it was amazing - just tell your driver and bring extra cash (2000 PPH)). We then headed for Moalboal where we swam with turtles and sardines. The most amazing day. A massive thank you to our amazing driver Raul who took us round all day, he was so friendly and spoke great English. & each tour guide at each activity who couldn’t do…”
Review of Cebu’s Oslob whale shark and Moalboal sardine run tour, with practical advice on timing, wildlife ethics, comfort, value, and crowds.
“Make sure you bring your neck pillow, lots of driving! It’s a bit commercialised for me. Whale sharks are amazing creatures and only swim 30 min with them but so many others too and not controlled well. The snorkeling was too overcrowded and could not do your own thing. Was I excited for your- yes. Would I do again - no.”
Swim with Moalboal sardines and turtles, enjoy Filipino lunch, then tackle Kawasan Falls canyoneering on a full-day Cebu adventure.
“The canyoneering is a absolute must. We had the best time and it’s definitely a highlight of our whole trip thanks to our guide making the experience even better. We had Jenise as a personal guide to us two and he was great. Other members of the group for the day made us all late and we ended up missing out on the sardine run. No fault to the organisers and we resolved the issue with a partial refund. So trust this company to make things right for you. Highly recommended”
Review of Cebu’s Moalboal sardine snorkel and Kawasan canyoneering tour, with turtles, cliff jumps, lunch, transfers, costs, and practical tips.
“From start to finish it’s worth every penny. It may seem expensive upfront, but for a driver in a spacey air conditioned car, private driver for the whole day, lunch, the activity entrance fees, the tour guides salary for the snorkelling and canyoneering - it is well worth it. Just google pictures of the Kawasan falls, so you’ll see how beautiful it is, but what really makes the trip were the tour guides. Special shoutout to Mac and Clifford at McRich travel and tours who organised the canyoneering. They were both very friendly, chatty, and had lots of experience - helping us navigate the queues, taking photos so we didn’t…”
Swim with Oslob whale sharks, Moalboal sardines, turtles, and Pescador Island on a long but memorable Cebu day tour.
“Overall great experience getting to swim with whale sharks, sea turtles, and the sardine run. As for a minor opportunity for improvement, our boat’s engine to Pescador Island was very loud. We had to cover our ears as it likely exceeded a safe decibel level for a prolonged period of time.”
Review of Cebu’s Pescador Island snorkeling and Kawasan Falls canyoneering tour, including turtles, sardines, transport, price, and practical tips.
“Very friendly driver, you can customize the travel to your liking. They picked us up in a hotel in Oslob and dropped us off in Cebu city so it was the best way to see the island. The snorkeling was slightly deceiving as there is nothing much to see in the first spot they take us and you are not provided with fins.”
Review of Cebu’s whale shark, Kawasan canyoneering, sardines run, and turtle tour, with practical advice on price, timing, fitness, and value.
“I don't normally do reviews, but this was so good I had too. This company did an excellent job, picked up on time, friendly driver and patient. Then the handoff to each of the respective excursions went great. It was nice watching the walk up pRead more”
See Moalboal’s famous sardine run from Panagsama Beach on a private one-hour snorkel tour with gear, guide, and optional GoPro.
“We booked for 7am, but no one showed up before 7:10. Besides that it was amazing! Best guide taking the best videos and pictures! He was sooo good! And so nice views of turdles and sardines”
Review of Moalboal’s private Sardines Run tour, with snorkeling gear, guide, insurance, optional transfers, GoPro add-on, and practical tips.
“The guides are very helpful & really get some great shots with the GoPro. Their service also extended to helping us buy snorkelling gear after my old gear broke. Highly recommended 👌”
Review of Cebu’s whale shark, Tumalog Falls, sardine run, and turtle tour, with practical details on price, timing, transport, and value.
“Professional driver Gabriel and guides are so efficient…… will recommend. Thank you.”
Review of Panglao’s $38 sardine reef snorkeling tour, with a local guide, hotel pickup, gear, wildlife caveats, and practical booking advice.
“We booked this tour specifically for the sardine run and understand that wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. However, we were only informed after pickup that there had been no sardines for 8 days, which was not communicated in advance. Because this information was shared so late, we no longer had the option to cancel beforehand. At that moment, the driver only said “there are no sardines” and did not explain or offer any alternative snorkeling activity. So we returned to the hotel. Only afterwards did the provider claim that coral reef snorkeling was still possible, which was never mentioned to us at the time or never mentioned in the vouchers/description.…”
