'Born to be Wild' documents blue whale sightings, a first on Philippine TV

Published October 10, 2012 4:37pm

In March 2011, GMA 7’s nature and wildlife program “Born to be Wild” was able to document a blue whale sighting in the Bohol Sea, the first known documentation of the world’s largest creature on Philippine television.

In 2012, the Born team once again sighted a blue whale in Bohol, making it the second sighting in two years.

“Born to be Wild” host Dr. Nielsen Donato spotted the blue whale on March 27, 2012, during the team’s 10-day expedition to film whales in Pamilacan, Bohol.

Doc Nielsen was the first to spot the high blow, or a spray coming from the whale’s blowhole. Upon seeing it, the team set out to find where the blow was coming from despite the rough seas. Doc Nielsen also observed a “turning” behavior, where the blue whale was seen to be very agile as it made a u-turn.

“Nakita na namin yung blue whale, nag-u-u-turn pala siya,” said Doc Nielsen. “Para sa malaking whale na ganoon, how can you maneuver in a split of few minutes? Nakikita mo umiikot kasi makikita namin bigla nag-i-stop siya, akala mo naglo-logging siya , pero umiikot pala.”

The blue whale is the largest known creature on earth. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, blue whales can grow up to 30 meters long, or as long as three buses combined.

With the help of math experts, a mathematical triangulation estimates that the sighted whale in Bohol was roughly 19 meters long.

During the same trip, the Born team was also able to film the Bryde’s whale, a cousin of the blue whale. Researchers noted that the sighting is a good sign of large baleen whales “coming back” to Pamilacan, an island formerly known for whale hunting but is now converted as a whale tourism and protection area.

After the trip, the team immediately informed marine mammal researchers of the blue whale sighting, who confirmed that the whale sighted in 2012 was different from the one first seen in 2011.

In 2011, a team led by host Dr. Ferds Recio also sighted a blue whale in Bohol. Doc Ferds was able to photograph the whale’s reddish excrement, which confirmed researchers’ suspicion that the blue whales are feeding. Experts believe that blue whales habitually expel reddish fecal matter after eating.

The two blue whale sightings of the program are considered strokes of luck. In the Philippines, there are only seven documented sightings of the blue whale between 2004 and as of this writing in 2012. Two of those sightings were made by “Born to be Wild.” – Annalyn Ardoña

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