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HUGE WHALE DOCKS IPIL SHORES
 
Local residents of the shores of Barangay Magdaup in the municipality of Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay were shocked and even panicked when a huge sea creature docked at their shores and posed like it was going to do harm to the people in the said place but all who panicked and went afraid were calmed because the creature was found dead and lifeless.

Village officials immediately reported the incident to the authorities and to the local officials of Ipil to apply immediate action on the situation.

The lifeless sea creature was believed to be a huge whale, a sperm whale to be specific, and it was the biggest sea creature to dock in the history of the place’s shores.

Officials of Ipil planned of removing the dead mammal to the area since its foul smell was already giving annoyance to the local residents living nearby and the people also feared of the possibility that the whale could be bringing a deadly virus or disease.

But after several days, the huge dead whale was still not removed because of logistical problems and the residents are already complaining.

Ben Anduhol, Team Leader of the Provincial Fishery Law Enforcement Team (PFLET) of Zamboanga Sibugay, then rushed to the area where the dead whale was lifelessly lying after negotiating and coordinating with the town’s Local Chief Executive, Atty. Eldwin Alibutdan.

“I personally negotiated and coordinated with our municipal mayor to offer my help to remove the dead whale away from the local residents because people already complained about the foul smell and maggots start to decompose the whale so something has to be done”, stressed Anduhol.

On the morning of Thursday, September 2, 2011, the huge whale was pulled by two motorized pump boats of the PFLET headed by Anduhol himself to the direction of the Ipil Wharf in Barangay Magdaup and at that point, logistical support from the LGU of Ipil will carry the dead whale and buried somewhere safe and far from local residents.

Anduhol added that he offered his space near his lot to finally give the whale his final repose.

Many bystanders believed that the whale possibly tagged along a ship but lost its way to the open sea of Ipil and unfortunately didn’t make it to survival.

Others also speculate that sea pirates or sea criminal may have hunted the whale and caused injuries to it but the sea mammal was able to evade captivity.

However, the local officials and residents of the town just decided to bury the whale despite speculations and comments from other people.

Burying the dead whale took almost 6 hours and at past 11:00 o’clock in the evening of that day, the dead sperm whale finally rested in its final repose.

In the previous years, a whale also allegedly docked the same shores of Barangay Makilas but the recent is way much bigger than the previous one.

Sibugay Express