As it continues with the exploration for sunken warships in Ormoc Bay, RV Petrel – the research vessel owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen – has reported sighting a rare blunt-nosed sixgill shark and a giant grouper, known to Filipinos as lapu-lapu. Robert Kraft, expedition leader, gave the “surprise” information to Mayor Richard Gomez during a visit to the RV Petrel on Friday, saying they “thought it better that you be the one to announce it.” Kraft said they sighted the two fishes on separate occasions. He pointed out that the sighting of the rare blunt-nosed sixgill shark, listed as “near threatened” on Dec. 2, 2017, at a depth of 259 meters could be the first ever recorded in the Philippines, as the country is not a recorded habitat. As for the “giant” grouper, Kraft described it as “really huge,” estimating its length at about six feet as judged from the backdrop of a huge Sumner artillery gun of the sunken USS Cooper.

Jimena, L. (2018, January 21). Rare shark, giant grouper sighted in Ormoc Bay. The Philippine Star, p. 14.