By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Department of Tourism Western Visayas (DOT-6) assured tourists that Boracay Island remains a safe destination following the capture of a seawater crocodile off its coast last week.
“Immediate actions have been taken by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and local authorities to guarantee the safety of all visitors and residents in response to the crocodile sighting,” the agency said in a statement on Monday.
Considered an unexpected and rare occurrence, the saltwater crocodile was sighted near the shoreline of Sinagpa Beach on Thursday morning, July 25.
Due to the big waves caused by the southwest monsoon, authorities recovered the crocodile late Thursday afternoon at Diniwid Beach.
The crocodile reportedly measures about 2.5 meters in length, has a body width of approximately 25.5 centimeters, and weighs around 50-60 kilos.
DOT-6 said the area where the crocodile was seen has been closely monitored and secured, with wildlife experts overseeing the situation to mitigate any potential risks.
DOT-6 noted that, according to DENR-6, the sighting of the reptile in the island’s waters is an “isolated incident.”
The Malay Municipal Tourism Office also noted that the incident was “extremely uncommon.”
Authorities suspect the crocodile may have come from neighboring provinces such as Mindoro, Romblon, or Palawan and was swept ashore by strong currents caused by Supertyphoon Carina and the southwest monsoon.
