Stranded male melon-headed whale rescued in Sarangani Bay

A male melon-headed whale was rescued after being stranded along the shoreline of Glan, Sarangani, on Saturday, July 18, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Soccsksargen said.

The Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) Megafauna Response Team found that the whale, now named "Uno," was emaciated and suffering from buoyancy impairment, preventing it from swimming normally.

DENR Soccsksargen responded to the stranding in coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Office of the Municipal Agriculturist (OMAG), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Philippine National Police Maritime Group.

Initial measurements showed that the whale was 247 centimeters (about 8.1 feet) long.

"The marine mammal, now named 'Uno,' marks the first recorded melon-headed whale to undergo rehabilitation at the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS)-Marine Wildlife Rescue Center (MWRC), representing a significant milestone in the facility's marine wildlife rescue and rehabilitation efforts," the department said.

Following the rescue, the response team provided continuous supportive care to stabilize the whale before it was safely transported on July 19 to the Marine Wildlife Rescue Center, where it is receiving intensive treatment and close monitoring, the DENR added.

The melon-headed whale (Peponocephala electra) is classified as an endangered species in the Philippines under Fisheries Administrative Order (FAO) No. 208-1, Series of 2024, DENR Soccsksargen noted.

The order lists rare, threatened, and endangered aquatic species and provides full protection to all whales, dolphins, and porpoises.— MCG, GMA News