A massive sperm whale was found floating lifeless near Banakon Island in Getafe, Bohol, alarming locals as the surrounding waters turned red with the animal’s blood.
The whale, identified as a sperm whale, measured 52 feet long and weighed approximately 41,000 kilograms or over 40 tons.
Sperm whales are known to dive as deep as 3,048 meters below sea level, making them one of the deepest-swimming toothed marine mammals and the largest toothed whale species.
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Region 7 has already dispatched personnel to examine the dead whale and determine the cause of its death.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo Cebu, Getafe Municipal Mayor Cayeh Monillas Camacho said the Bohol Provincial Museum advised burying the whale, but they received a call from Manila instructing them not to proceed.
Authorities from Manila plan to collect data and conduct further analysis to identify the exact cause of the whale’s death.
Sperm whales frequent Philippine seas due to the region’s deep oceanic trenches, such as the Philippine Trench, which provide an ideal environment for their feeding and migration habits.
These marine mammals primarily feed on squid, a resource abundant in the deep waters of the Philippines.