Facebook (FB) netizens are sharing photos of lifeless megamouth sharks on shores, with many linking it to the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that recently hit Mindanao areas. These posts are false. The photos were from 2014 and 2015.
A FB user posted on Nov. 15 three photos of megamouth sharks that washed ashore and surrounded by residents. The caption states that the rare sharks were seen in Olaer, Apopong in General Santos City.
A FB page reposted the same photos on Nov. 17 claiming that the sharks were found in Lan Padidu, Malapatan in Sarangani province.
Several netizens thought the supposedly recent shark sightings were “signs” related to the 6.8 quake that jolted Mindanao, including General Santos and Sarangani.
The claims are false. The megamouth sharks in the photos were captured in 2014 and 2015 in other Philippine provinces.
The first and second photo shows a 15-foot megamouth shark caught by fishermen in Burias Pass in Albay and Masbate provinces on Jan. 28, 2015.
Reuters took the first photo, also published by other news organizations. The second image was from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and was reported by other media outlets.
Another photo of a megamouth shark washed ashore in Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City on June 30, 2014 was used.
Media site Aol uploaded a copy of the image on July 2, 2014. BFAR Region 10’s FB account also posted a copy on July 21, 2014.
There are actual reports of megamouth sharks recently washed ashore in Aurora, Southern Leyte and Negros Oriental. According to a Philippine News Agency report, BFAR-Central Visayas clarified that these sightings have no scientific connection to the Nov. 17 quake.
Based on the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Nov. 21 report, the magnitude 6.8 quake affected 16, 293 families in two regions and three provinces, leaving nine persons dead and 16 injured.
The photos in those erroneous posts were uploaded by an FB user and FB page Basketball.com (created on May 17, 2023) collectively garnered 65 shares, 83 comments and 2,785 shares.
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(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)