BACOLOD CITY – A whale shark was found dead on Thursday, April 18, a day after it was released back to the sea in Barangay Aguisan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, April 17.
A WHALE shark was found dead on Thursday, April 18, a day after it was released in Barangay Aguisan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental. (Photo courtesy of ENRO Himamaylan)
In a Facebook post, the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO)-Himamaylan said that the whale shark was first sighted around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The mammal, which was about 5.5-meters long and weighed 1.2 tons, was stranded at Aguisan Port.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), ENRO, and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) responded to the report. They monitored and facilitated the safety of the whale shark.
During the high tide at around 11 a.m., a resident assisted the whale shark in returning to the middle of the sea.
However, at midnight, April 18, residents spotted the whale shark again in the area. This time, it was already dead.
The ENRO said whale sharks go near the shoreline if they are distressed. The whale shark was buried at the city’s sanitary landfill.
Coastal communities especially fishermen were advised to protect this kind of species as they help maintain the balance of nature and preserve the environment.
A female green sea turtle was also found dead in the shoreline of Barangay Masaling¸ Cauayan, Negros Occidental.