Whale Shark Tours Sumbawa
12 ulasan Jl. Lintas Sumbawa-Bima, Labuan Jambu, Tarano, West Nusa Tenggara +62 852-3950-2610 amazingsumbawa.com sarankan editAMAZING SUMBAWA
AMAZING SUMBAWA
12 Desember 2023 7:30
Found Wahyu Roberto rather by coincidence. Was able to join a group of 4 which cut down the entire costs massively. Make sure your group is not ditching you and the pariticpants are confirmed. Also make sure that weather conditions are predictable and you have clear sky and no full moon. Docked to the 1st vessel, no luck. 2nd vessel had 2 whale sharks and the third one even 5. This is rather unusual, normally you see 1-2 whale sharks but even that is totally worth the money. The whale sharks all stayed 20min+. The crew was super nice and in the end we all got nice gopro clips. Would do it def.again.
01 Oktober 2023 13:45
We did the whale shark tour with Roberto and were happy to see 2 specimens. Got to spend all the time we wanted swimming with them. We were only 4 passengers on the boat so it was nice but more expensive.
Careful with the jellyfish, my wife got stung all over her body but not me, even though I stayed twice longer in the water
Careful with the jellyfish, my wife got stung all over her body but not me, even though I stayed twice longer in the water
15 September 2023 16:57
We had such a memorable experience. We will never forget this amazing morning. We started at 3: 30am from Alffiah hotel. We took the boat at 4am in front of the hotel. After 1h15 of boat we arrived before the sunrise with a warm welcome by some dolphins. The whale sharks were already there waiting for the fishermen to lift up the shrimp net. We spent 2 hours with 10 specimens. We were only one boat of 10 people. Only us and the sharks.everything was perfect and respectful.
28 Agustus 2023 15:23
First of all, I liked the experience. The boat was good, the place for snorkeling was good. We saw several sharks and were happy about it.
The reason that I give one star here is attitude of the guide. He said that he have GoPro camera and during the trip he will take videos of our group with it. We asked to keep videos so he could upload them to a cloud drive. Later that day we texted him, he ignored us, only a few days later he showed up and said. “I’ve deleted videos. Sorry”. That’s it.
Moreover, we had an agreement and paid to have only our company of 5 aboard. Surprisingly, we have a bunch of other strangers in the boat, some of them scared sharks with their annoying behavior.
The reason that I give one star here is attitude of the guide. He said that he have GoPro camera and during the trip he will take videos of our group with it. We asked to keep videos so he could upload them to a cloud drive. Later that day we texted him, he ignored us, only a few days later he showed up and said. “I’ve deleted videos. Sorry”. That’s it.
Moreover, we had an agreement and paid to have only our company of 5 aboard. Surprisingly, we have a bunch of other strangers in the boat, some of them scared sharks with their annoying behavior.
22 Agustus 2023 0:33
Horrible experience: after waking up at 3am, departing at 4 and arriving at 5.30 at destination, we were kept on the boat until 6.30 because two other boats (that had both arrived after ours) unloaded about 20 snorkelers on top of the three whale sharks that were swimming there. Result: only one whale shark was left for us. The fishermen stopped feeding the whale sharks shortly after our entry in the water, and the lone whale shark quickly left. Upon return we expressed our disbelief at the negative experience: adding insult to injury, we were asked to pay more than the price we were quoted the night before because there was one passenger less on the boat. Not recommended. Choose another boat operator.
18 Agustus 2023 1:10
Ignore the recent 1 star review. We had a great time with Roberto.
He came to our hotel the evening before and explained the next mornings plan. He had lined up 4 other people to go with us to bring the costs down, and on the morning he'd actually found 7 extra so refunded 1/3 of our money no questions asked. He also offers 50% off if you don't see the whaleshark, or to go the next morning for free.
We were on the boat by 4am, and at the whale sharks by 6am. We stayed with them till gone 8am and we're back before 10.
We had coffee, water and bread with Nutella while on the boats. It was nice.
Would recommend you bring ear plugs for the boat and also your own snorkel kit as it took a bit of time to get the snorkels he'd brought dished out to everyone.
He came to our hotel the evening before and explained the next mornings plan. He had lined up 4 other people to go with us to bring the costs down, and on the morning he'd actually found 7 extra so refunded 1/3 of our money no questions asked. He also offers 50% off if you don't see the whaleshark, or to go the next morning for free.
We were on the boat by 4am, and at the whale sharks by 6am. We stayed with them till gone 8am and we're back before 10.
We had coffee, water and bread with Nutella while on the boats. It was nice.
Would recommend you bring ear plugs for the boat and also your own snorkel kit as it took a bit of time to get the snorkels he'd brought dished out to everyone.
11 Juni 2023 11:37
An excellent place, not yet “absorbed” by the flow of tourists. Good organization and vivid impressions for life. I recommend!
03 Mei 2023 4:53
We absolutely loved our tour to see the whale sharks with Roberto and his team! Great organization, attentive and smiling team, interesting explanations and in line with the protection of marine fauna. Everything was perfect! Contact him by WhatsApp and go there with your eyes closed!
06 April 2023 14:12
Clear communication and great experience!
You leave early to catch the nets being pulled up at dawn, which attracts the whale sharks.
We initially had 4 to 5 whale sharks to watch and swim with, and one stayed around well into the morning. We stayed with the Bagan fish boat for about 2 hours.
Some improvements:
- Inform people before hand that the boats that take you to the Bagan have deafening engines. I would have gladly taken my ear plugs. Berghain techno night is nothing compared to 2 hours of boat engine rattling the ears.
- Some of the guides where always swimming with the sharks and by that in the way of the tourists (literally and picture-wise). Those guides are there every day, pls make way for the tourists a bit more who are there only once.
You leave early to catch the nets being pulled up at dawn, which attracts the whale sharks.
We initially had 4 to 5 whale sharks to watch and swim with, and one stayed around well into the morning. We stayed with the Bagan fish boat for about 2 hours.
Some improvements:
- Inform people before hand that the boats that take you to the Bagan have deafening engines. I would have gladly taken my ear plugs. Berghain techno night is nothing compared to 2 hours of boat engine rattling the ears.
- Some of the guides where always swimming with the sharks and by that in the way of the tourists (literally and picture-wise). Those guides are there every day, pls make way for the tourists a bit more who are there only once.
25 Maret 2023 11:57
I just want to describe my tour experience at this place with Roberto.
I wrote to Roberto a few days before my planned trip. I asked him what next day someone was already going to him on this tour so that I could join them and reduce the cost accordingly. He said on March 31 several guys were coming to him. We agreed that I would join them and the price would be 1.450.000 respectively.
I arrive in Labun Bajo on March 30, meet with Roberto and the captain Wahyu of the boat, they warmly welcome me and check me into a hotel.
March 31 at 3: 00 am I get up to go on a whale shark tour, but instead I see a message that the price for me is 2.450.000 since I am alone. To my question why? Ignore. I ask the other guys did not come? His answer is: not yet.
Ok, I agreed to pay more since the other guys didn't come and I'm alone.
As a result, we sail to the sharks and moor to the boat on which the captain Wahyu is already familiar to me and with other tourists (who allegedly did not come).
That is, instead of putting everyone on 1 boat, as agreed in advance, at the very last moment he decides to cut down as much money as possible, seat tourists in different boats and profit!
Yes, and we sailed with him on a boat not from the village, but from some kind of writhing. Apparently so that I do not intersect with other tourists.
I came to him, since he is the only one who does the shooting. And as it turns out, it sucks too. There were 3 cameras. He shot terribly on his gopro, the whole camera was fogged up and nothing was visible on the video. On my gopro, it’s also not clear what he shot. And even on an iPhone in an underwater box, he managed not to shoot anything.
I do not recommend! It sucks and He only cares about money.
I wrote to Roberto a few days before my planned trip. I asked him what next day someone was already going to him on this tour so that I could join them and reduce the cost accordingly. He said on March 31 several guys were coming to him. We agreed that I would join them and the price would be 1.450.000 respectively.
I arrive in Labun Bajo on March 30, meet with Roberto and the captain Wahyu of the boat, they warmly welcome me and check me into a hotel.
March 31 at 3: 00 am I get up to go on a whale shark tour, but instead I see a message that the price for me is 2.450.000 since I am alone. To my question why? Ignore. I ask the other guys did not come? His answer is: not yet.
Ok, I agreed to pay more since the other guys didn't come and I'm alone.
As a result, we sail to the sharks and moor to the boat on which the captain Wahyu is already familiar to me and with other tourists (who allegedly did not come).
That is, instead of putting everyone on 1 boat, as agreed in advance, at the very last moment he decides to cut down as much money as possible, seat tourists in different boats and profit!
Yes, and we sailed with him on a boat not from the village, but from some kind of writhing. Apparently so that I do not intersect with other tourists.
I came to him, since he is the only one who does the shooting. And as it turns out, it sucks too. There were 3 cameras. He shot terribly on his gopro, the whole camera was fogged up and nothing was visible on the video. On my gopro, it’s also not clear what he shot. And even on an iPhone in an underwater box, he managed not to shoot anything.
I do not recommend! It sucks and He only cares about money.
23 Maret 2023 15:04
It was absolutely amazing! The way to sharks was under the night sky full of stars! Sharks was soooo close to us - they are unbelievably beautiful! Also we got amazing videos- thank you very much!
01 November 2022 6:58
Roberto organized 2 mornings of snorkeling for me, plus accommodation in Labuan Jambu (Hotel Alfiah was great), and car transfers from the airport (2 hours each way). Everything went smoothly and we had great encounters with the sharks. I'd recommend this for anyone up for community-based, aspiring-eco-tourism that's a bit rough and unregulated.
Included in SNORKEL TRIP: 3am start, 1.5-2hr boat ride on local wooden long boat out to fishing platforms (bagans). 1-2hrs of snorkeling with basic gear provided. Light breakfast of coffee, bread, Nutella, water. Back at hotel by 9-10am. Fees for guide, private or shared boat, payments to fishing bagan crew.
The GOOD: you get an amazing up close encounter with the sharks (we had one 3m shark on the first day, three 5-7m sharks on the second day) in warm clear water (clearest from Aug- end November). Also pretty calm waters because you are in protected Saleh Bay. On the boat ride out you can see shooting stars and bioluminescence in the waves. You are supporting some nascent community eco-tourism that aims to conserve the 100 resident whale sharks, and provides tourism funds to the fishing village directly.
BAD: Rough and unregulated at present. Just want to be clear that this is very basic. You sit on flat floor of wooden boats, with a small cushion if you are lucky. I recommend bringing ear plugs, a face mask/ baklava for diesel fumes and very loud engines. No life jackets. Although there is an established code of conduct for interacting with sharks, few people followed it. At some points there were 20+ people in the water with one shark, with some people trying to touch the sharks or obliviously kicking them with their fins (come on humanity, let's be better than that). Guide Roberto speaks English and organized everything well, but I think he could be a little more communicative. There is a co-op established to coordinate and develop the eco-tourism, but it doesn't seem to be functioning well yet (BUMDES).
UGLY: There is no dock in the village yet. When you return after snorkel, it's low tide so you have to walk barefoot through silty eel grass and tide pools where the fishermen leave some cleaned fish parts. Safe just kind of gross. Also sadly we had to walk past a few manta carcass heads where gills and wings had been harvested for Chinese markets. Bit of a sad way to end an ecotourism experience.
A few recommendations for the Amazing Sumbawa Tour team: 1. Share more Info! An estimated schedule for the morning or explanation of what's happening as we check in with different bagans while they pull up their nets and you try to find the sharks would be helpful. Would also be great to learn more about the sharks, local conservation efforts, Labuan Jambu fishing practices, etc.
2. Provide a tiny bit of comfort. I realize you are still building up the business, but one small investment would be 100% worth it to improve guest comfort: a small cushion for each person to lean/ nap on for the boat rides.
3. Set the tone for respectful interactions with the sharks. Not everyone will follow the code of conduct, but more guests will if their guides ask them to. And have the guides hold each other accountable as well. If you allow people to feed the sharks directly, harass them with touching, oblivious kicks, and over-crowding it will ruin the experience and maybe drive the sharks away.
4. Get BUMDES working for the community. It's a good concept, I hope you find a way to get it working effectively. Your ideas for investing in life jackets, a pier, an additional loan program for fishermen who support conservation efforts and sustainable fishing are great!
Terimah kasih, and good luck!
Included in SNORKEL TRIP: 3am start, 1.5-2hr boat ride on local wooden long boat out to fishing platforms (bagans). 1-2hrs of snorkeling with basic gear provided. Light breakfast of coffee, bread, Nutella, water. Back at hotel by 9-10am. Fees for guide, private or shared boat, payments to fishing bagan crew.
The GOOD: you get an amazing up close encounter with the sharks (we had one 3m shark on the first day, three 5-7m sharks on the second day) in warm clear water (clearest from Aug- end November). Also pretty calm waters because you are in protected Saleh Bay. On the boat ride out you can see shooting stars and bioluminescence in the waves. You are supporting some nascent community eco-tourism that aims to conserve the 100 resident whale sharks, and provides tourism funds to the fishing village directly.
BAD: Rough and unregulated at present. Just want to be clear that this is very basic. You sit on flat floor of wooden boats, with a small cushion if you are lucky. I recommend bringing ear plugs, a face mask/ baklava for diesel fumes and very loud engines. No life jackets. Although there is an established code of conduct for interacting with sharks, few people followed it. At some points there were 20+ people in the water with one shark, with some people trying to touch the sharks or obliviously kicking them with their fins (come on humanity, let's be better than that). Guide Roberto speaks English and organized everything well, but I think he could be a little more communicative. There is a co-op established to coordinate and develop the eco-tourism, but it doesn't seem to be functioning well yet (BUMDES).
UGLY: There is no dock in the village yet. When you return after snorkel, it's low tide so you have to walk barefoot through silty eel grass and tide pools where the fishermen leave some cleaned fish parts. Safe just kind of gross. Also sadly we had to walk past a few manta carcass heads where gills and wings had been harvested for Chinese markets. Bit of a sad way to end an ecotourism experience.
A few recommendations for the Amazing Sumbawa Tour team: 1. Share more Info! An estimated schedule for the morning or explanation of what's happening as we check in with different bagans while they pull up their nets and you try to find the sharks would be helpful. Would also be great to learn more about the sharks, local conservation efforts, Labuan Jambu fishing practices, etc.
2. Provide a tiny bit of comfort. I realize you are still building up the business, but one small investment would be 100% worth it to improve guest comfort: a small cushion for each person to lean/ nap on for the boat rides.
3. Set the tone for respectful interactions with the sharks. Not everyone will follow the code of conduct, but more guests will if their guides ask them to. And have the guides hold each other accountable as well. If you allow people to feed the sharks directly, harass them with touching, oblivious kicks, and over-crowding it will ruin the experience and maybe drive the sharks away.
4. Get BUMDES working for the community. It's a good concept, I hope you find a way to get it working effectively. Your ideas for investing in life jackets, a pier, an additional loan program for fishermen who support conservation efforts and sustainable fishing are great!
Terimah kasih, and good luck!