PCG to investigate death of 10-meter whale along Manila Bay

The Philippine Coast Guard is set to investigate the death of a 10-meter whale found near the Manila Bay breakwater on Monday afternoon.

PCG commandant Vice Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said they would determine how the whale ended up at Manila Bay.

Tamayo said the PCG would turn over the whale to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) for proper disposition.

“We are still trying to determine if the whale died after it was hit by a vessel, or if it was already dead before it was hit by the ship,” PCG acting spokesman Lt. Gary Dale Gimotea said.

“BFAR authorities have yet to identify what kind of whale (was found in Manila Bay) and we will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of its death.”

There were speculations that the mammal could either be a Minke or Bryde’s whale.

At 2 p.m. the other day, the PCG action center received a report that a whale was found by a crew of tugboat M/T Banuyo at the bow of the M/V Our Lady of Good Voyage of SuperFerry.

The PCG port state control immediately towed the whale to Pier 13 of the Manila South Harbor.

As of early afternoon, Gimotea said they were using two forklifts to remove the whale from the waters, in coordination with the representatives of the BFAR. – Evelyn Macairan