Wounded sperm whale found in coastal area of Baler
A wounded sperm whale was found at the coastal area of Sitio Castillo, Barangay Sabang in the town of Baler, Aurora on 5 September 2026.
According to the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) Baler, the whale was seen by a fisherman at the said area in a weakened state and full of wounds.
The fisherman then reported his finding to the local authorities, hoping they would provide immediate medical attention to the 2.46-meter long animal.
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) are natively found in nearly all deep-water seas across the Philippines, where they enjoy strict protection under national law.
As the largest toothed whales on Earth, these deep-diving marine mammals roam the country's oceanic trenches and basins, though they face severe environmental threats that frequently lead to strandings.
Sperm whales typically inhabit deep offshore waters and migrate across major marine ecoregions like the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Ecoregion.
In the Philippines, they are most frequently spotted or documented in Bohol Sea, Sulu Sea & Sarangani Bay, and the Batanes Group of Islands.
