A whale shark is spotted in Danao City by Jhames Talisic on Sept. 25. | Screengrab from Talisic’s video
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Jhames Reymond Talisic thought it was an ordinary afternoon on Wednesday.
In the middle of a vast sea in Sitio Canlingo, Sabang, Danao City, Talisic was simply enjoying his hobby on his day off—fishing.
He was putting out his bait, hoping to catch fish, when he noticed a creature that is not a common sight in the area.
As it got closer to his boat, he realized it was a whale shark, or Butanding. He immediately felt nervous.
“Kabi man nakog unsang isdaa ang sige’g tuyok-tuyok sa akoang bangka. Natingala lang ko kay naay sigeg kisaw sa tubig nga dili normal sa akoa pamati,” Talisic said.
Talisic quickly reached for his phone to record whatever he saw.
In the video he posted on Facebook, it was evident that Talisic was surprised and could not hide his reaction upon seeing the whale shark, especially since it was his first time encountering it in person.
Whale sharks are commonly seen in Oslob, southern Cebu, and whale shark watching is a significant contributor to the town’s tourism.
In Barangay Sabang, residents say they do not see whale sharks every day.
However, some residents admitted that their sea is home to a variety of marine species.
“Daghan jud isda dihaa. Kasagaran danggit, katambak, ug awman. Naay mga mangisdaay dinhi sa amoa, magpaapil gyod ko nila og naa silay makuha nga dagko-dagko,” said Lyn Cañete, a resident of Brgy. Sabang for over 20 years.
As of this writing, Talisic’s video has reached over 70,000 views and over 800 shares.
Among those who shared their reactions was former Tourism Secretary Ace Durano, who shared CDN Digital’s post.
“Oi murag naa ta’y bag-ong residente sa Danao ☺️💙 Kita mo aning Butanding? Nindot gyud ning ampingan nato atong palibot kay malipayon ta ug tanang nagpuyo sa atong kalikopan,” Ace said.
Moreover, Danao City’s head of investment and promotions and former congressman Red Durano also noticed and shared the post.
“Nature’s beauty is right at our shores, as we were graced by the presence of a majestic whale shark. Let this serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of protecting our environment, preserving the delicate balance of life that thrives in our waters,” Red said.
According to the city’s public information office, “Danao City has protected marine sanctuaries in Barangay Sabang and Barangay Guinsay, monitored by the Danao City Bantay Dagat team.”
Meanwhile, the city’s tourism office stated that the visit of Butanding was a living testament to the abundance and health of their city’s marine ecosystems.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), whale sharks are commonly referred to as “gentle giants” that can grow up to 20 meters long and weigh 20 tons. They are “filter feeders and can neither bite nor chew.”
“They can process more than 6,000 liters of water an hour through their gills. Although their mouths can stretch to four feet wide, a whale shark’s teeth are so tiny that they can only eat small shrimp, fish, and plankton by using their gill rakers as a suction filter,” WWF stated.