A whale shark was spotted off Kiamba in Sarangani.
A resident, Carlo Martinez, whose hobby and sport include fishing was astonished upon seeing the whale shark swimming near his boat.
He said he saw the whale shark after he moved to another spot when his fishing rod got broken.
“Kato nga time, murag na-bad trip ko ba, nagbalhin ko og spot tapos naa ko’y nasiplatan nga kanang likod gud sa isda kanang buku-buku, sa akong huna-huna basi’g mao ning akong isda kay milutaw so nagtuyok ko kadali,” Martinez said.
“Nakita nako, hala, lahi man, dako man. So mura ko’g nakuyawan ba, nag-stop ko sa akong boat. After how many seconds, nagduol siya sa akoa, mao tung murag na-amaze ko ba, nakulbaan, wala ko kasabot sa akong gibati,” he added.
The whale shark measures around 14 feet in length.
Martinez said nothing bad happened to him at that time and the whale shark left after 25 minutes.
According to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the whale shark may have been foraging for food.
The sighting of the whale shark would also mean that the water in the area is rich and healthy.
“Kasi panahon ngayon ng bolinao…Ibig sabihin, according sa ating mga kasamahan sa office, yan yung mga indication na maayos na ang ating protected seascape kasi meron tayong na-observe na isda na dati wala, ngayon, bumabalik na sila,” PENR Officer, Shalimar Disomangcop, said.
However, PENRO warned the public not to harm the whale sharks.
“Hayaan na lang siya, huwag tayong gumawa ng ma-provoke natin siya. Hayaan na lang, kung ano ang nakikita natin, pasalamat tayo dahil maging masaya tayo dahil merong mga ganyan na sea creation,” Disomangcop added.
