The Category Is... Underwater Realness

in Photography Lovers3 years ago (edited)

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I was in Moalboal and Oslob last week. We spent 2 days in Moalboal, we arrived on Sunday night and stayed until Tuesday morning, but we were able to freedive only once because the weather was really bad last Monday. Good thing the weather was perfect last Tuesday and the sea was so calm that it was perfect for freediving. After freediving in the morning, we immediately checked out and head to Oslob which is on the other side of south Cebu. We planned to stay there for one day (until Wednesday), but we didn't know the whale shark watching is closed every Wednesday. We had to extend because our goal was to really dive with the whale sharks. We just had a fun dive near Stay N Save B&B.

Since @sabanalchristian is still editing the videos, I will share these photos for now. The reason is simple: I'm loving them! Be warned though, these photos are all about me as the model. Well, this is my blog so I guess I can share photos with me in them. At least I'm not sharing a lot of selfies and post them as a travel blog. 😏

Special thanks to @sabanalchristian for taking these photos!

I already shared some of these photos on my Facebook and Instagram and I thought why not share them here when I couldn't get anything from sharing these photos in my other social media accounts.

The following four photos together with the one in the thumbnail are taken in Panagsama, Moalboal. The rest are taken in Tan-awan, Oslob.


I love these collection of photos because they somehow show that I'm really getting comfortable underwater. I tried to get quirky underwater and I loved the results.


The following photos are the result of not seeing the whale sharks. It was a good thing though even if we had to extend for another day just to interact with those gentle giants. We had a lot of fun because the sea was so calm and the weather was almost the same as the day before.

Being underwater is really different. It feels like I'm suspended in this vast space where I can move in all directions. This means freedom.

The very first thing to do during freediving is getting comfortable underwater. Your fears of what might be lying down there are probably just in your mind.

For aesthetics, we have another guide named Ariel who can blow bubble rings, so we decided to have some stunts with those bubble rings. I only tried it once while @indayclara tried it many times so she probably has more photos than me.


The corals in Oslob are not as diverse as in Moalboal, but it was still an awesome place to dive. The terrain is also very different. Moalboal's terrain is usually characterized by a sudden drop which in our dialect we call as kantil or underwater cliff or precipice, while in Oslob it's a slow descent. In Oslob, however, once you're already in a part with a significant depth, there's this vastness of space which is really amazing and scary at the same time.


That's just me trying to look like a seal! 😅

I'm so excited to share the video about our interaction with the whale sharks, but for now, here's a photo that I'm really proud of. I'm glad I started freediving before interacting with them because it was really a different experience.

I guess that's all for this post. See you at the next one!

Kim Ybañez

Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.

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Kainggit, I love going to beaches and island hopping but once it comes to swimming in the sea, natatakot talaga ako. Sana ma-conquer ko yang fear ko na yan.

Love the title by the way, namiss ko ang RuPaul's Drag Race. haha

Hi, mommy! Baby steps lang po to conquer your fear. It's really liberating once maconquer mo fears mo. Mas ma-eenjoy mo ang dagat... and everything lurking down there. 😂

It's in homage to RuPaul's Drag Race kahit di ako fan. 🙈

I loved the pictures, this is so beautiful, so surreal, it must feel divine to swim with such a large creature! I was always fascinated by freediving, congrats for being brave enough to do this. The beauty of the sea is just spectacular, thank you!

It was so surreal! I felt really out of this world when I swam below that whale shark. Plus I was able to hold my breath longer. Can't wait to share the video!

Thank you! I'm just so thankful to Hive for all of these. I mean I can't afford to buy fins if not for Hive.

I dream about doing this too one day, I would love to just sit and admire such a big creature, I am fascinated by whales, shark and everything down there.
Hive is an incredible resource for all creative people and Amen to that! I can't think of a better place to talk, create, win and be able to just be oneself. I am also very grateful for having discovered this place!

Let's manifest that and let the universe work in your favor. I'm excited for you to try freediving one day!

I've read your post 6 days ago and I was really inspired by your story. I am really grateful for this space because I can connect to different types of people from different walks of life whose stories are very real and always fascinating to hear. See you more on chain!

Thank you very much for these lovely words. I will sure make lots of photos when I will do freediving, that would be awesome!

I hope there's no crown of thorns situation in Oslob. Must have been amazing to see the gentle giant from below looking upwards. Not everyone gets to see the whale shark from that angle.

I also hope that there's no outbreak there because I think it's more difficult to contain that in Moalboal.

Looking at the whale sharks from below was really an awesome experience! Like I still have issues with their tourism practices there, but I would be a hypocrite if I say I didn't enjoy it. I won't do it again though. I mentioned it many times that I won't support their practice and now that I see it firsthand, I still won't support it.

I feel that I'm also part of the problem because I went there so I promise to go to Sogod Bay or Donsol to see whale sharks again, but not in Oslob.

It's okay since it's a challenge going to Donsol or Sogod Bay at this time. That is quite an experience. I have only seen the whale sharks above water. Swimming with them is definitely awesome.

Yeah. When it's okay to roam around, I will definitely go to those places.

This is one for the books. Plus it makes me conflicted so it's a bonus to the experience. 😂

Nice shots po. Love the sea and the view. I never tried whale watching in Oslob. Hopefully soon. Good reads. Thank you

Thank you so much! It's an interesting experience.

Dawn your pictures are so fine, it makes me like understand the water but I do what you did because I can't swim, I can only swim in pool never tired swimming in the river in my life.

You are brave, because I would help disappeared when I saw the big fish. Where you not scared??

Wasn't scared at all because they're so gentle! They won't bite. They just want to eat small shrimps.

Ok if you say , but I would be scared if it was me,

How the you take the cool pictures, you have a photographer?

Our guide is really good at taking photos and videos underwater. He's also in Hive. Check out @sabanalchristian.

That's cool I will go and check out his page, thanks.

@tipu curate

Yay! Thank you so much for the support!

wow the photo is really great taken from below! And these flippers they are so long haha must be great to dive with. Such fins had our guides on tours in the Maldives, real professionals:) The photo with the whale shark is incredible!

I'm so jealous with your Maldives experience! 🙈

Long fins are great for freediving, but it takes time to get used to.

With whale sharks, I can't wait share the video! Stay tuned! 😉

great courage

I had fun! Thank you!

So badass!
untitled.gif

No u! 😂 I'm just enjoying underwater.

Shoookkkt! Ka Wow Atung whaleshark photo ug ikaw uyyyy. Grabi 😻untitled.gif

Grabe! Shookt sad ko nakaya to nako. 😂 It was an awesome experience tho.

your pictures reminds me of how much I miss diving!😍 💓

Go diving when you have the chance! 😄 I won't really regret doing those.

@ybanezkim26, keyword is "when you have the chance" 😄 can't wait for your video with the whale shark.... I waiting for one during one of my dive trips but they never appear....sadly.....

😆 Grab every opportunity that comes your way. I'm sure you'll be able to do so one day!

YES! fingers crossed 🤞🏽😎

Hi.
Nice photographs. The shark shot is real cool.

Hi! Thank you so much! I'll share the video soon!

Sounds good.

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beautiful photographs, in the fullness of the sea, underwater with a view that we cannot normally appreciate

True! That's why we have to go down there and appreciate it's beauty first hand.

Ang ganda ng mga experience na yan.Nindota sa feelings ana o.

!BEER

As in Nay! Makamiss ang underwater. Ganahan nasad ko mubalik. 😂

Hala, naa bay bayad na diha? Pwd ba ta moadto sa ilawom bisan di kabalo molangoy o need jud kabalo.

Naa Nay. 500 for 30 mins na interaction with the whale sharks. Maglisud jud ug adto sa lawm if dili kahibaw mulangoy.

Hahahahaha, maoy gidangat,ma imagine noon naku. Salamat dong
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Wow, very beautiful photos! Keep up the good work! :)

Thank you so much!

You're most welcome! :)

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Great photos Kim. You definitely nailed the category. Hahahahah.

The more ko makakita sa inyong posts n @indayclara the more ko ganahan mgfreedive. Huhuhuhu

Yay! Thank you! Shantay I stay!

Freedive na dayon! I'm sure di ka magmahay.

Puhon puhon! For now mg cge lng sa ko ug kasuya ninyo. Ahahhaah

That looks amazing and seems like your really having fun and enjoying this free diving nice clicks @ybanezkim26 :)

Thanks! I was having fun! It was a great experience.

Lucky you I am jealous 🤣

I am thrilled with these photographs. How awesome, thanks for sharing your experience!

Thank you so much! I'm so happy to see all your comments about these photos. Makes me wanna dive more and share more photos here.

photo with whale is so amazing @ybanezkim

Thank you! It was an amazing experience!

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