Four whale sharks, known as gentle giants or butandings, have been spotted swimming in the waters of Cadiz and Sagay cities in Negros Occidental since last week.
There is one adult whale shark that is about 27 feet long and three juveniles measuring about 10 to 15 feet in length that have been swimming back and forth from Daga in Cadiz City to Himoga-an in Sagay City, which is an about 7-kilometer stretch, Jose Roberto Togle, Sagay Marine Reserve environment management specialist 2, said Tuesday, August 15.
The whale sharks do not harm humans and they feed on krill, or tiny shrimps, he said.
The Sagay City Bantay Dagat has been monitoring the whale sharks’ movements to ensure their safety, Togle said.
The whale shark has been listed as “endangered” under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List since 2016.
Togle reminded the public not to approach, harm or feed the whale sharks.
There have been crowds gathering to catch a glimpse of the whale sharks.
Togle said they do not know where the whale sharks, who are migratory in nature, came from as they just showed up last week.*