Mayor worried that if this continues they might lose their most treasured tourist attraction in Bais City. The city has been known for its dolphin watching over the years. He admitted that the increasing number of tourists in the area has also been affected with the diminishing number of dolphins. He informed that observation shows only five to six dolphins appear along Tanon Strait even during fair weather.
He also told that the sound of motorboats has forced some dolphins to disappear to a long distance. According to the mayor the decreasing number of dolphins in Tanon Strait could be due to the exploration of the Japan Petroleum Exploration (Japex) and Department of Energy (DOE) in the area.
The Mayor cites example of an initial study by marine scientists from the University of the Philippines (UP), in which it is mention that the strait has seven types of dolphin species before the exploration started. The recent study shows that there were ony two types of dolphins species found in the area. Meanwhile, Provincial Board member Melimore Saycon expressed concerns over the report of the diminishing dolphins in Tanon Strait.
Saycon does not believe that their disappearance was due to the recent exploration in Tanon Strait. He said that dolphins and other marine mammals were not affected by the exploration. He further said there is no report of dying dolphins due to exploration. However, he believed that some dolphins transferred to other areas to seek food.
