Have you seen a Butanding?
By edujccz
@edujccz (929)
Philippines
October 30, 2009 3:55am CST
I was 19 years old when I assigned to the coast guard as cadet. On board MV Tirad Pass , we happened to sail to board families of high ranking officials in the military and bring them to an island outside of corregidor, the voyage took 4 hours to reach the place and i was so tired and feeling very sleepy during the trip. Eventually, i fall asleep and when i woken up, our passengers have gone to shore and the ship was already at anchor at about 2 miles away overlooking the beach. Eager as a boy, I asked my fellow cadets to jump into the water and swim to shore, he said okay. So I hurriedly taken off my shirt and told him to follow me. The deck was about 5 meters high and soon I was in the water, i told him " come on jump" but he hesitated and told me that he was afraid. How I wish I could climb up but there was no ladder to go back. Soon i find myself swimming and heading for shore, but it was too far, i'm getting exhausted and the current was pushing me away instead, gladly a fisherman in outrigger boat was there and i asked him if i could rest for a while, so i cling to the rig as much as i can, in another 5 minutes i was back swimming. but lo, a big fish was right thru my path, he was very scary with a lenght of 15 meter blocking my path, his skin are spotted and his mouth as wide as a meter, his eyes is big as he look at me and i was totally terrified, Oh my God , at that moment i prayed to God pervently that this fish won't swallow me. After the prayer i slowly swam atop his back and barely my skin was touching his. God thank you so much that he didn't mind me at all and i was really thankful. Again i was on my belly doing all the tricks to reach the shore, finally i did and in exhaustion, i drop my self into the sand to rest but not for long, two coast guard personnel took me in the arms and shoved me in a small boat and took me back to the ship in front of the Captain full of anger to what i did.
That was long ago and a product of my boyishness, I never knew what danger really was. Yesterday, a big fish was found along roxas blvd in front of our office. The big fish was dead and washed back to shore, people was trying everything to lift it up but its too big and heavy. Then soon I came to recall that this might be the big fish in front of me during that day of my foolishness and still i could remember the big spotted skin. But I will thank this big fish Butanding they call' for it is him who taught me how to pray pervently, its him who taught me how to thank God ,its him that taught me what danger was. Its only now that i learned from people around saying this kind of big fish doesn't eat human, but as a boy ,this fish will surely eat me. LOL.
Have you seen one.
1 person likes this
1 response