Sarangani Marine Mammal Survey

Sarangani capitol building © Cocoy Sexcion

Sarangani sits on territory formerly part of South Cotabato, was conceived by gerrymandering and finally birthed by popular plebiscite in 1992; South Cotabato was then divided, its coastal lands surrounding its eponymous bay became the new province. Two annual fiestas are held in Sarangani: the Munato, that celebrates the indigenous people of the province, and the Bayfest, which celebrates all things related to the 200+ thousand hectare bay. This was my sixth Bayfest since it began six years ago, and is unique because of the Munato ingredients tossed into the mix.

The timing of my visit was coincidental to the schedule of the Bayfest. I arrived along with a WWF marine mammal survey team on reports of orca sightings. The team of Dr Jom Acebes, Elson Aca and AG Sano, veterans of the humpback station in Camiguin Norte, Babuyan Is, led by Lory Tan, WWF boss, was here to do an initial mammal survey and training of a diverse group of reps from various government agencies that would become part of a larger team.

Dr Jom Acebes and survey team members spotting whales. 2010 © Toby Martin

Orcinus orca, or more commonly, killer whales, are often associated with arctic climes, an understandable misconception delivered by documentary videos from temperate countries where orca populations exist. Some pods base themselves in a local range while others are migratory and will feed wherever the food takes them. Locally, the only confirmed sighting is in the Tañon Strait that separates Negros from Cebu. Lory recalls that encounter — Two orca formed up on either side of the boat then as if on cue, dive and swim towards the boat; viewed from the boat you could see them flashing their bellies up at us, as if driving fish to the surface during a hunt; they were checking if we were prey.

Survey Day One was spent on land in a seminar on survey practices and species intros – uneventful, but stirred great interest from the group. On the second day, after hours on the water, switching between watching for the creatures and catching up on sleep, the boat exploded in excitement when a pod of Risso’s dolphins was spotted about 3km bird’s flight from our base in Lemlunay Dive Resort on Tinoto Pt in Maasim.

Risso’s mother and calf pair off the coast of Maasim. 2010 © Toby Martin

Distinctive scarred back of Risso’s dolphin. 2010 © Toby Martin

Risso’s dolphins (Grampus griseus) are characterized by the white linear scars that criss-cross their bodies. These marks are products of mating rituals and accumulate over time defining the almost white elderly from less scarred juveniles. We observed a mother-calf pair, some juveniles and several mature adults circling a general area in a unique display of social interaction. The Risso’s performed breaches, tail slaps, surfing and other recreational activities usually observed in the species in the wild.

Risso’s dolphin breaching. 2010 © AG Sano

The third survey day found us following a track eastward towards Malapatan and Glan in the opposite direction from the previous day’s route. Elson plotted the tracks based on topographical charts of the bay’s ocean floor and a system based on the premise that the animals can be spotted by the human eye (bare or binocular-aided) at approx 3km range. The track figured along a sudden drop in ocean depth along a shelf near the bay’s opening where entering currents push up against the wall and thrust nutrients into the shallower waters, thereby attracting small fish. Small fish attract larger fish, and consequently the dolphins that are on the higher end of the food chain. Small hand-line fishermen were likewise patrolling the area, perhaps not cognizant of the scientific reason for the area’s fertility, relying mostly on experience and tradition. This fishing style was a spectacle in itself, a welcome relief in the long wait for a sighting; the fisherman hurtling at speed over waves, standing in a banca barely long as he is tall, rudder and throttle stick in one hand, nylon line in the other, in a struggle harking to Hemingway’s Old Man, as old as fishing itself.

Hand-line fishing is sustainable, artisanal, and catch-traceable. 2010 © Jose Ma Lorenzo Tan

Not much later we find both pygmy (Kogia breviceps) and dwarf (Kogia sima)sperm whales on different occasions. Both belong to the Kogiidae family and are easily mistaken for each other in open water.

Pygmy sperm whale logging. 2010 © AG Sano

The third day ended with still no orca sightings. The team members had to go on their way — AG went on to paint murals in Maasim, Elson inspected a sea turtle hatchery in Maitum, and Jom traveled to nearby Balut Is for some dissertation research. Each individual reported success within the next couple of days. AG painted 681 dolphins on public school walls with local students whittling down his goal of 23,000, in protest of the Taiji live dolphin trade which finds its way to the Philippines. Elson found that 4 of 5 turtles species present in the Philippines may have nested in Maitum, with records of leatherback nesting from 10 years past, the first known claims of the species nesting in the country.The best news came last when Jom reported spotting orca on her ferry trip back from Balut. Three individuals appeared in the early morning in the channel between Balut and Sarangani, possibly the same that were spotted weeks before. While unable to capture it in photos and note the coordinates, this latter sighting confirmed the earlier, clear proof of the broad marine mammal diversity in Sarangani bay, and invitation for further survey.