1st Baby Whaleshark Found in the Philippines!

Filed Under: Animals, Science (general), Conservation
MANILA, Philippines -- A baby whale shark has been found in waters off the eastern Philippines, raising hopes the world's first breeding ground for the creature may have been discovered, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said Monday.

The whale shark, measuring just 15 inches (38 centimeters), was found in shallow water off Donsol in Sorsogon province.

Local fishermen had tied a line to its tail and anchored it on a local beach so it would not escape.

Whale sharks, which can grow up to 40 feet (12.2 meters) long are the largest fish on the planet.

Donsol is known for its large adult whale shark population but it is not known to be a breeding ground, Elson Aca of the WWF said in a statement.

After it was examined by biologists the whale shark was taken to deep water and released.

In spite of all the research being done worldwide on whale sharks, to this date no one knows where they breed or give birth, the statement said.

"The pup was so small, it was probably born here," Aca said.

"For many years, scientists thought Donsol was merely one of many feeding grounds along the global network of marine highways where whale sharks cruised," he said.

"This new discovery is the first indication that this coastline may actually be a birthing site."

source: GlobalNation

Thanks to Raymond Yap for the article.