A 6-meter long whale shark was found stranded in the waters of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Saturday. The State College of Fisheries rescued the creature which slowly swam away right after its rescue.
A whale shark is the known to be the largest among the fish species. It is a slow-moving filter feeding carpet shark. The largest recorded had a length of 12.65 meters and weighed about 21.5 tons. They are usually found in tropical oceans. Whale Sharks feed mostly on plankton and do not usually pose a threat to humans.
Whale Shark rescued in Negros Occidental
ABS-CBN reported that the whale shark weighed around 3 tons. It was found in the waters of Barangay Aguisan in Himamaylan City. The whale shark was said to be stranded in the nets of a fishing vessel.
The State College of Fisheries came to its rescue. When the whale shark was finally free, it slowly swam away. Professor Roger Ray Manzano of the State College of Fisheries said the whale shark must be looking for food in the waters of Southern Negros. Manzano said, “In the case of butandings or whale sharks, the reason why we often see them 5-10 kilometers away from the shoreline is an indication that they are feeding.
The report further mentioned that a dolphin carcass was also recently found in Binalbagan which is around 20 minutes away from Himamaylan. In August 2016, the Philippine Star reported that a 5-meter whale shark was found dead with its fin cut off in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. The Visayan Daily Star also reported that a 3-meter long whale shark was also spotted in EB Magalona in October.
Manzano explains that Southern Negros which is near the Negros Trench used to be a pathway for migratory species. This could be another reason why the whale shark was in the area and could also explain the sighting of dolphins.