Photo courtesy of DENR-12
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 13 May) – A supposed “false killer whale” (Pseudorca crassidens) was spotted off the waters of Glan, Sarangani within the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), an official said Monday.
Cirilo A. Lagnason, head of the SBPS-Protected Area Management Office, said the whale was spotted foraging off the coastal waters of Barangay Burias, Glan, a popular tourist destination known for its powdery white sand beaches.
He said the lone marine mammal was spotted during their biodiversity assessment and monitoring activity in the SBPS last Thursday, May 9.
The false killer whale, named for the resemblance of its skull to killer whales, is among the largest members of the oceanic dolphin family. Their feeding habits are unique — they have a tendency to playfully toss their food in the air before consuming it, often sharing it with fellow pod members, according to a press statement from the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Region 12 based in this city.
Due to their predominantly offshore distribution, false killer whales are difficult to study and not many populations have been assessed. As such, the species is designated as “data deficient” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, according to the United Kingdom-based International Whaling Commission (IWC).
IUCN stands for the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a global environmental network composed of governments and civil society organizations founded in 1948.
Reaching up to six meters in length, false killer whales behave much more like a smaller dolphin, swimming quickly, occasionally leaping, and sometimes approaching whale watching vessels, the IWC said.
“The timing of this encounter adds excitement as we celebrate the Month of the Ocean. Such encounter underscores the importance of the seascape as a foraging ground for marine mammals, making it a critical habitat for their survival,” Lagnason said in the statement.
This year’s Month of the Ocean (MOO) is themed “Develop a Sustainable and Equitable Blue Economy.”
The MOO is celebrated annually during the month of May, as mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 57 issued in 1999 by then President Joseph Estrada. The DENR and the Department of Agriculture through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources lead the activities for MOO, in collaboration with various sectors of society.
Lagnason said the occasion is a call to action to conserve, protect, and sustainably manage the country’s coastal and marine resources.
“We are striving to be more proactive in monitoring these species as they are powerful indicators of the seascape’s health,” Lagnason said. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
