Thursday, June 26, 2008 4 'butandings' seen at Tondaligan beach By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
DAGUPAN CITY -- Early morning beach comers and fishermen got a surprise treat last Tuesday when four "butandings" (whale sharks) swam near the shore of Tondaligan beach.
The four butandings' presence in the area was immediately reported by local residents to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
The mammals showed how friendly they were as they just stayed put even when people swam near them to touch them. Their presence gave little income to some fishermen whose boats were docked along the beach as some people hired their bancas just to get closer the whale sharks.
Westly Rosario of the BFAR regional office said the four butandings could be the same whale sharks seen here seven years ago based on the cut on the fin of one of the big fishes.
Accordingly, their feeding season and presence here are indicators that Tondaligan beach, which is part of the Lingayen Gulf, is teeming with fishes which are being eaten by the whale shark.
Butanding means big fish. Its scientific name is rhincodon typus. It eats small fishes, small crabs, plankton and shrimps, among others.
These migratory fishes were first seen in 1998 in the town of Donsol in Sorsogon Province. Large groups of butanding visit Donsol from November to May.
Since then, the town became very popular as tourists flock to the area to see the fishes.
