Why did this distressed sperm whale get stranded in Masbate twice?

A 10-meter long female sperm whale was recently stranded in the coastal area of Dimasalang, Masbate.

According to a report on "Born to be Wild," the sperm whale was first spotted in Baragay Banahao at around 9am on June 25.

The provincial agriculture office and the PNP personnel conducted a successful rescue operations and was able to bring and release the whale toward the deeper part of the ocean at around 11am.

But strangely, at around 2pm on the same day, the sperm whale was once again spotted, this time in Barangay Suba, still in Dimasalang, Masbate.

Residents couldn't help but erupt with various emotions at the sight of the whale. Some swam near it, with other even riding on its back.

But as authorities tried to bring the whale to the deeper part of the ocean, it turned aggressive. Ronald Bacusmo, a barangay tanod who was part of the rescue mission, suffered a cut on his leg after the whale accidentally grazed his open mouth on Ronald's leg.

Unfortunately, they were unsuccessful. After more than 28 hours, the whale died.

Niel Justin Romano, a report officer at the BFAR-Provincial Fisheries, explains a whale getting stranded usually means they have a problem and need to rest.

"Second strand na niya, so ibig sabihin meron siyang problema," Romano said. "Usually sa mga marine mamals, pag may sakit sila or may ecological disturbances sa area tulad ng dynamite fishing or human activities sa natural habitat — kaya sila nasa-strand, kasi gusto nila magpahinga."

"Pag hindi sila nakapagpahinga, yun din nagco-cause ng kanilang pagkalunod," Romano added.

Should you encounter a large mamal on the beach, it's best to avoid and not play with them to avoid accidents. — LA, GMA News