Butandings spotted in Batangas, Quezon waters
BATANGAS, Philippines — Scuba divers and some residents spotted a school of whale sharks — or butandings — swimmimg in the waters of Quezon and Batangas over the past few days.
A group of scuba divers led by Pen De Los Santos saw at least 10 whale sharks and 2 manta rays in the waters off Barangay Laiya in San Juan, Batangas on Saturday morning.
"This is the most...whale sharks I've seen so far. We are trying to observe them and record what we see so we can establish their habit," De Los Santos said.
The first class municipality of San Juan is known for scenic white sand beaches fronting Sigayan Bay and black sand beaches fronting Tayabas Bay. It has a total of nine Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
Last Saturday, a school of whale sharks was also seen in the waters off Sariaya in Quezon.
Jay Lim, who has been a member of Tanggol Kalikasan since 1999, said they spotted the butandings in an area already close to San Juan, Batangas
"There’s a river in between Sariaya and San Juan and it is in that opening where there are a lot of dulongs (a type of goby). This is what whale sharks feed on so we suspect that’s why they were there," he said.
Tanggol Kalikasan has been pushing for a unified fishery ordinance for Batangas and Quezon for the protection of the butandings and sea turtles in Tayabas Bay.
Among the activities prohibited in the draft ordinance are fishing using big bancas or commercial boats, catching endangered species, using very fine nets, coral exploration and exportation, fishing in areas declared as marine sanctuaries and dynamite fishing.
Noel Pasco, municipal environment and natural resources officer (MENRO) of San Juan said the town has adopted the ordinance but not all those surrounding Tayabas Bay are doing their part as illegal and dynamite fishing can still be observed.
On Wednesday, MENRO will gather resort owners in San Juan to get their commitment in protecting the area to help sustain the presence of the whale sharks.
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