Government workers and civilian volunteers joined hands to set free last Thursday a juvenile whale shark, locally known as butanding, that had been stranded at the pier of the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) in Mabini, Batangas since July 30. Relly Garcia, team leader of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said the whale shark or Rhincodon typus is about 6 to 8 years old and measures five to six meters long. Garcia said the whale shark could have been trapped at the pier while feeding in the area.

Ozaeta, A. (2013, August 10). Gov't workers volunteers rescue stranded butanding. The Philippine Star, p. 14.