By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff Reporter
Barely three days after a whale shark
(Rhincodon typus), commonly known as “butanding,” got caught in a vertical fish
net off a Brgy. Calayab beach here in Laoag City, another whale shark was
sighted near the shoreline of a hotel located at the same barangay on March
2 at about 10 am.
This became an instant attraction as locals and several
foreigners who were staying at the hotel rushed to the beach to take photos of the
friendly marine mammal, measuring about seven meters.
Personnel of the same resort with a jet ski guarded the sea
creature playing along the shoreline with the locals wanting to touch on it.
For a while, the whale shark stayed there until it voluntarily went back to the
ocean.
According to local residents, at least four whale sharks have already
been spotted in the area, the first three however were caught in a vertical
fish net and were released back to sea.
Through various information and education drive, the Ilocos
Norte Provincial Fishery Office has been calling on coastal residents to help
in any way they can to protect these endangered sea creatures which serve as
sentinels of the sea.
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