KOTA KINABALU: Tourists and villagers were treated to a rare sight when a whale turned up near the shores of Simpang Mengayau, popularly known as the Tip of Borneo, in Sabah’s northern Kudat district.
Local dive operator Ivan Tan said he and his friends first spotted the mammal on the eve of Hari Raya last Friday.
“We sighted it some 500m from the beach. We were on the hill when it showed up.
“There are people who saw it from the shore or the chalets by the beach,” he said when contacted yesterday.
Tan said this was the first time a whale had come calling to the Tip of Borneo since he started operating there six years ago.
“We have seen whales in Sikuati (about a 45-minute boat ride from Simpang Mengayau), but that was many years ago.
Rare sighting: An aerial photo of the whale taken by a drone. — Photo by Dr Arthur Jackson
“Villagers who have lived here for decades said they have rarely seen a whale,” he added.
Tan said he was not sure what species the whale was, but he estimated it to be at least 6m in length.
He was also not sure from where the creature had come or why it was in Kudat.
“Maybe it is because of food. A group of snorkellers told us they saw a trail of squids and black ink in the waters where the whale was spotted.
“We are going to monitor and keep track of the whale until it leaves,” he added.
Marine Research Foundation executive director Dr Nicolas Pilcher said the huge marine mammal could be a Byrde’s whale.
“See the top of the head? It has a main rostrum line going down to the forehead, and then one on either side,” he said.
Pilcher said it was not common for whales to turn up in Kudat.
