DAGUPAN CITY – A pygmy sperm whale was rescued by personnel of the Regional Maritime Unit 1 and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which was found stranded on Friday night in Barangay Pugaro here.
The whale was 1.2 meters long and weighed 80 kgs., and had a wound on its dorsal anterior to the head, according to the BFAR research center.
It was reportedly active, was swimming, and was being forced fed under close monitoring.
Meanwhile, another pygmy sperm whale was found stranded at Tongaligan beach, also in this city.
The whale had an estimated length of three meters, and weighed 300 to 350 kgs. A responding team was able to release the mammal in deeper waters.
According to Dr. Lemnuel Aragones, head of Philippine Marine Mammal Stranding Network, the pygmy sperm whales were most probably victims of blast fishing in the area.