A dead pilot whale was discovered on the shore of Barangay Tam-isan, Mati City, Davao Oriental last week. The male whale, estimated to weigh half a ton, had been seen swimming in the waters off Sitio Taganilao on September 21 with an injured tail.
The pilot whale, like the killer whale, is a member of the dolphin family. Fishermen in the area allegedly left the dolphin alone thinking that it was not in danger and that it would simply swim away.
The following day, the 10-foot long creature was discovered already dead, presumably from wounds suspected to have bern caused by some fisherman’s spear.
Nathaniel Quiñones, a resident of Mati, said barangay officials led by kagawad Giovanni Lazaro immediately informed the authorities about the the dead whale.
Representatives from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources took some samples from the carcass before deciding to bury the whale.
The provincial tourism office asked for the whale’s skeleton to be donated to a future museum that the province is planning to construct.
Quiñones said the BFAR and police authorities did not pursue an investigation to determine the real cause of the dolphin’s death and who did it in, if any, for the possible filing of a charge against the culprit(s).
He said large fishing vessels are known to carry spears aboard that could have injured the pilot whale.
Pilot whales are sociable, and are most often found in groups of 20 to 90. They are not considered to be endangered. There are likely to be almost a million long-finned pilot whales and at least 200,000 short-finned pilot whales worldwide. [BOT, Photo by Nathaniel Quinones].
Residents in the area claim that there are about 100 pilot whales frequenting the Pujada Bay waters in Mati City. Pujada Bay was declared as a protected seascape by the national government since 1994.
Aside from Pujada Bay, an eagle sanctuary was also declared off limits by the Mati City government to protect the eagles that inhabit the Mount Hamiguitan Range.
Another area of interest for environmental conservationists is Mayo Bay, still in Mati City, where dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles and whales are also frequently sighted. Experts say the waters of Mayo Bay and Pujada Bay are known feeding areas due to the rich presence of sea grass and other aquatic resources.
