Swimming with whale sharks wasn't what I expected at all. You won't find anything more touristy in all of the Philippines, honestly.

I got to the spot at 7:20 AM. At registration, they gave me number 186 (though it's not an individual number—it's for a group, so there were way more people). I had to wait 3 hours for my turn (at least you can run off to check out the waterfalls and grab a bite instead of just sitting on a chair).

Then they put you in a boat and take you out a couple hundred meters from shore. They constantly throw food to the sharks and they swim along the tourist boats (I doubt that's actually good for them). You can jump in the water and splash around nearby (it's safe), but you can't touch them.

It's interesting to see, but you leave feeling like you've been run through a factory conveyor belt. Everything felt so mechanical. Soulless. If I'd known it would be like this, I would've spent my time and money on something else.