At least 95 percent of endangered whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) observed in Oslob, Cebu province, since 2012 have been injured and scarred due to activities linked to wildlife tourism, according to a study that looked into the impact of tourism on the largest fish species in the world. Researchers from the Large Marine Vertebrates Research Institute of the Philippines (Lamave), which published the paper in the journal Aquatic Conservation, Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems last week, underscored the urgent need to implement proper management interventions to ensure that tourism activities would not harm the whale sharks, locally known as “butanding.” The research looked at photographs of 152 individual whale sharks off the coast of Barangay Tan-awan, which were taken from March 2012 to January 2015. These photos were used to monitor their presence and identify scars on their bodies and the accumulation of their injuries.

Enano, J. O. (2020, October 14). Tourism hurting whale sharks in Oslob-study. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A8.