KORONADAL CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 12 (DENR-12), together with the Maritime Police, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and Coast Guard, buried a dead female sperm whale on Sunday in the coastal waters of Glan, Sarangani province.

The 12.3-meter (approximately 40 feet) sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) was found in moderate decomposition about a kilometer offshore in Barangay Taluya. Bantay Dagat personnel first sighted the marine mammal.

Lawyer Felix Alicer, DENR-12 regional executive director, said the whale's condition indicated it had been dead for several days before discovery.

A veterinarian from the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape, together with marine mammal experts, conducted morphometric measurements and tissue sampling led by BFAR personnel.

"After data and sample collection, the carcass was properly buried, and GPS coordinates were recorded for possible future scientific exhumation," Alicer said.

The PNP Maritime Group towed the carcass to the shoreline of Barangay Tango, Glan, to allow safe access for examination, documentation, and proper disposal.

Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales and typically inhabit deep offshore waters, migrating across large marine regions.

Alicer said the incident highlights the transboundary nature of marine wildlife and the need for broader conservation efforts beyond local waters.

The Protected Area Management Office of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape emphasized that protecting migratory marine species requires strong interagency response and continued coordination among neighboring countries within shared marine ecosystems.

The collected samples will support laboratory examination and contribute to marine mammal records and conservation efforts in the region. (PNA)