WHALE SHARKS (BUTANDING)
TYPE: FISH
SCIENTIFIC NAME: RHINCODON TYPUS
LOCALLY KNOWN AS: BUTANDING
SIZE: RELATIVELY COMPARED TO AN AMERICAN SCHOOL BUS
Whale sharks are described as the largest fish in the sea, with a life span of 80 to 100 years. These animals are so massive that they can grow to 18 to 32.8 feet or more and weigh 20.6 tons.
CHARACTERISTICS
They have a flattened head that sports a blunt snout above its mouth with short barbells protruding from its nostrils. It’s back and sides are gray to blue with white spots with pale vertical and horizontal stripes but its belly is white. They also sport 2 dorsal fins rearward on its body with a large dual-lobbed caudal fin (tail). Whale sharks prefer the warm waters and migrate to the continent shelf of the central west coast of Australia or any other warm waters every spring.
FILTER FEEDING
Despite its size, the whale shark is a filter feeder. The whale shark juts out its formidably sized jaws and passively flitters everything on its path (cross-flow filtration).
MANTA RAY (‘sanga’ or ‘pagi’)
Just across Donsol waters lay Ticao Pass, the Manta Bowl of the Philippines where hundreds and thousands of manta rays use the waters as mating and feeding grounds as they converge during warm waters like whale sharks. It is also part of the marine biodiversity of the Philippines that has been given efforts to conserve and preserve the natural habitat in Ticao, Masbate. Seven known species have been confirmed to have a presence in the Philippines. Coming across one, two, or more is not uncommon in Donsol’s waters.
TURTLES (PAWIKAN)
On rare occasions, turtles lay their eggs along the sands of the Donsol shoreline. In previous early encounters with these animals, locals needed the help of WWF volunteers to handle situations where they stumble upon turtle eggs. In traditions, turtle eggs are eaten as a delicacy or discarded. Now, locals have been trained by respective volunteers and educated on the proper handling to help with the nurturing and protection of the turtles and their eggs that are eventually released back into the water.