Is butanding a whale or a shark? Kuya Kim explains

Butanding is known in English as whale shark, but is it more of a whale or a shark?

As reported by Kuya Kim on “24 Oras” Friday, the butanding is not a whale (balyena), but instead is a kind of shark (pating).

Considered the largest fish in the world, the butanding has a mouth that measures up to 4 feet wide. However, these animals have small teeth, so they can consume food in small quantities, such as fish, shrimp, and plankton.

The butanding is endangered not only in the Philippines but also all over the world.

Meanwhile, a butanding was spotted in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, when it was caught in a fisher’s net by accident.

The residents, who had seen a butanding for the first time in the area, gathered to helped each other set it free. – RC, GMA News