Adrian Josh Lepiten 
The first verified sighting of blue whales in the Philippines was in 1758, and subsequent sightings have been rare. Blue whales were last seen in the Philippines in the nineteenth century. Thus, between 1870 and 2004, still no sightings of blue whales were reported.
The first time was when a TV team spotted a mother and calf in the Bohol Sea. The duo was initially thought to be Bryde’s whales (Bryde’s edeni), a species that frequents the area. See whole article here about…
The Blue Whales
Early this June 2021, the study confirms sighting of endangered blue whales that are thought to be no longer venturing in Philippine waters. Bughaw or Blue whale made its appearance in the Bohol sea. It is said to be the largest creature that has ever existed, larger than any dinosaur that was ever discovered.
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The Antarctic blue whale, sometimes known as the real blue whale, can reach a length of 33 meters and a weight of 150,000 kilograms. The pygmy blue whale can reach a length of 24 meters and a weight of 80,000 kilograms, which is the same as 20 African elephants.
The Blue whale or Philippine term Bughaw is a member of the Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda subspecies, one of four blue whale subspecies. Given its location and size, Bughaw has been identified as a pygmy blue whale.
According to the study, the re-sighting of a single animal 13 times over the course of eight years indicates that there may be additional blue whales in the area. Between January and July, sightings were reported.
The discovery of Bughaw in the Bohol Sea, north of Indonesia, suggests that the Philippines, and specifically the Bohol Sea, may be an extension of the Indo-Australian population’s northern migration path, according to the study. In addition, the Bohol Sea could be a feeding area for blue whales.
The sea’s unique undersea terrain, as well as its links to deep basins (the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Sulu Sea to the west), all contribute to the area’s marine life productivity. The time when the blue whales arrive in the area coincides with “months of high productivity”.
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