A juvenile dwarf sperm whale died Thursday evening after stranding along the shoreline of Barangay Santa Teresita in Dumaran, Palawan, despite efforts by responders to return it to deeper waters.
According to a local resident who witnessed the incident, the whale was first spotted at around 4 p.m. by spouses Jerome Toble and immediately reported to the barangay tanod and the Philippine Coast Guard.
“Tinawag agad ng mag-asawa sa tanod at sa Coast Guard,” the resident said.
The Coast Guard initially attempted to guide the whale back to sea, but the animal repeatedly returned to the shoreline.
“Tinaboy daw nila, bumalik,” the resident said, adding that the whale again beached itself before the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) was called to assist.
PCSD personnel later identified the marine mammal as a
*dwarf sperm whale*
. Responders documented the animal’s measurements, estimating it at about 116 inches long with a body girth of around 60 inches and a weight of more than 500 kilograms.
The whale died at around 7:30 p.m.
Before burying the carcass, PCSD personnel collected tissue samples for laboratory examination in Puerto Princesa to help determine the cause of death.
“Nagkuha sila ng sample para ipadala sa Puerto para doon sa test,” the resident said.
The resident said PCSD personnel observed a severe wound on the whale’s left underside, which they estimated had been sustained one to two months earlier.
“‘Yung tiyan part niya talagang may tama na. Tinatansya ng PCSD nasa one to two months na ‘yung sugat niya,” the resident said.
The witness recalled that the animal appeared to be in distress while stranded.
“Kahit anong taboy sa kanya, dalhin siya sa laot, nagpapabaybay talaga siya,” the resident said. “Naawa din ako kasi… lumuluha siya.”
PCSD has yet to release the results of its examination or officially determine the cause of the whale’s death.
