A melon-headed whale was spotted, trying to strand itself at the shore of the Cagban Jetty Port at Barangay Manoc-Manoc in the island of Boracay on 8 June 2026, showing signs of distress.

According to witnesses, the marine mammal was first spotted circling the water of the said area, prompting some tourists to approach the animal.

In a video post by Key Ann Cahilig Gelito, the melon-headed whale can be seen trying strand itself, as if trying to escape something from the water while hitting a docked boat on the shore.

Onlookers tried to remove the animal from the shore and successfully directed it to deeper waters. But experts on marine mammal stranding stated that this a bad idea, adding that the people should have called first experts or the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The said incident came after a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Mindanao island a few hours earlier.

Marine mammal strandings after earthquakes can occur due to seismic disturbances that cause underwater vibrations, interfere with echolocation, or trigger tsunamis that displace prey.

While scientific studies show no definitive link proving strandings predict earthquakes, significant seismic activity can disorient cetaceans, drive them into shallow waters, and cause mass stranding events