A pregnant tiger shark washed up in Bgy Ipil in Barbaza, Antique, yesterday morning and locals say they were able to rescue 30 pups and release them back to Cuyo East Passage (locally known as Antique Waters), the body of water that divides Antique and Palawan.
The mother died, probably due to hunger, and has been buried.
But chances of the pups surviving may be as slim as 10% to 20% because of “baby shark cannibalism,” said Flord Nicson J. Calawag, a licensed fisheries technologist based in the province.
According to Calawag, he received photos of the fish at 7am on Mar 1 and he immediately tried to identify the species.
“Since there is no recorded tiger shark population in Antique, the beached fish could be from Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park which is 365 kilometers away and which has five tiger shark residents,” he told Coconuts Manila.
“There is a big possibility that this pregnant tiger shark was searching for food and was washed ashore due to strong currents,” he added.
Tiger sharks are believed to be one of the most dangerous shark species and are considered near-threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Calawag, who lives 70km away from the Bgy Ipil, will visit the site this afternoon to conduct a necropsy.
The last time a tiger shark was caught in the Philippines was in Nov 2014. Fishermen found a half-digested human head and leg inside its belly.
