‘Butanding’ return to Pangasinan town

SAN FABIAN, PANGASINAN—A pair of “butanding” (whale sharks) has been spotted in the waters off a public beach here, entertaining residents and tourists since Sunday.

Since 2001, whale sharks have been seen in the Lingayen Gulf, which has become part of their migration path, according to Westly Rosario, chief of the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center based in Dagupan City. In 2013, seven whale sharks lingered for months in the gulf, lifting this town’s tourism industry.

The butanding visits are essential “because people who benefit from the tourism industry become responsible, learning to protect the whale sharks,” Rosario said. —GABRIEL CARDINOZA