GLAN, SARANGANI — Environmental authorities and marine experts have buried a 12.3-meter female sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) after it was found dead off the coast of Sarangani on Sunday, February 22, 2026.
Discovery and Examination:
- Initial Sighting: The carcass was first spotted by the Glan Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol) approximately one kilometer from the shoreline. At the time of discovery, the whale was in a moderate state of decomposition, indicating it had been dead for several days.
- Scientific Assessment: Personnel from the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-12) conducted morphometric measurements and tissue sampling to investigate the cause of death.
- Origin: Experts believe the whale originated from the Sulu–Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion and was likely carried into Sarangani Bay by prevailing ocean currents.
Disposal and Conservation:
- Burial: Using a backhoe, authorities buried the carcass along the coast of Barangay Taluya, Glan, on Sunday afternoon.
- Future Research: The exact GPS coordinates of the burial site were recorded to allow for possible scientific exhumation in the future to study the skeleton.
- Regional Cooperation: Lawyer Felix Alicer, DENR-12 Regional Executive Director, emphasized that the incident highlights the “transboundary nature” of marine wildlife and the need for international cooperation to protect migratory species within shared ecosystems.
Sperm whales are the largest toothed whales in the world and are known to inhabit deep offshore waters, often migrating across vast distances.