Butanding the size of 3 bancas spotted off Negros

A whale shark known locally as “butanding” or ”tuki,” said to be the size of three bancas, was spotted Monday off Cauayan town in Negros Occidental province.   A report of the Visayan Daily Star said  whale shark was "almost triple the size of a small banca." Cauayan Mayor John Rey Tabujara said he is still verifying if a whale shark was indeed seen in the coastal areas of Cauayan.   Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation Inc. president Gerardo Ledesma stressed the need to protect the whale sharks, an endangered species.   These whale sharks may bring more income if alive rather than dead, he said. Ledesma said whale sharks 20 to 30 feet long can usually be seen in Sipalay City, Brgy. Bulata, and Danjugan Island in Cauayan when rains occur.   The whale sharks are also usually sighted in Sogod, Leyte in early December and in Donsol, Sorsogon at the end of January.   In Cebu, whale sharks have also been seen off Barangay Tan-awan in Oslob in the last three months. The report said Oslob has become a tourist destination because the whale sharks interact with fishermen who feed them shrimps. - VVP, GMA News