Whale shark, (Rhincodon typus), the largest harmless living fish that feeds only on tiny plants and animals (phytoplankton and zooplankton). This marine species uses its big mouth to scoop plankton, along with any small fish that happen to be around, while swimming close to the water’s surface.
This shark can be found in tropical and temperate seas. In the Philippines, they usually occur across Donsol, Southern Leyte, Palawan, and the most famous and controversial, the Oslob in Cebu.
In 24th of October 2021, a whale shark sighting was reported in the coastal waters of Claver, approximately three kilometers from the shore of Brgy. Taganito.
A barge crew, named Angelou Sinampaga, posted a video on social media that a Whale shark (3-4 meters in length) is busy feeding in small fish near the anchorage of TMC barge.
According to Sinampaga, the sighting started on the first week of October, where school of fish (dilis) is observed, and lasted only 10 to 15 minutes before the large creature disappeared. He also added that the sighting happened almost every year between the month of August to October.
According to Greenpeace.org, it is thought that the most significant threat to whale sharks is habitat loss or degradation in the form of overfishing of reef fish, coastal development, land-based pollution, increased boat traffic and noise pollution.
Hence, the presence of Whale shark in the municipal waters of Claver indicates that its marine waters is habitable to any forms of marine organisms especially those that are endangered ones.
If this area is protected and preserved, because it served as migration path for the large creature, Claver has the potential to be included on the list of Whale Shark sightings across the Philippines.
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