EntangledOne of the fishermen interviewed by a local radio station on Saturday, however, claimed that the megamouth shark was eating their catch of small fish. According to Oceana, an international ocean advocacy group, the megamouth shark is considered the smallest of three species of filter-feeding sharks after the whale shark and the basking shark. Magante said a group of at least seven megamouth sharks was seen just near the shore of Cugman early this year. Townsfolk in the coastal town of Talisayan in Misamis Oriental even used to celebrate the Tawiki Festival due to the abundance of whale sharks in the area. However, the whale sharks eventually disappeared from the town’s waters, forcing the community to stop holding the festival.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 08, 2019 21:11 UTC