TIBURONES: The Flying Sharks of Philippine Folklore

The Tiburones  are said to be flying sharks, with razor sharp teeth, crushing jaws, and able to circle their prey from the air. ‘Tiburon’ is Spanish for ‘shark’, most English translations of the Ibalon use this name for the creature (Triburon). In Bikol, these creatures are known as Pating na Pakpakan. In the Ibalon epic, they were tamed by the warrior-hero Handyong.

Handyong and his men made their next attack against the giant flying sharks called Triburon which had hardy flesh and sawlike teeth that could crush rocks. They continued fighting until the defeat of the last Triburon. – Overview excerpt from the Ibalon Epic

Tiburones Illustration by Leandro Geniston
FB: That Guy With A Pen

 

A Tiburones Tale

Scientists have been baffled by the bumblebee for years. Using old aerodynamic theory they shouldn’t even be able to fly. Today, it has been shown that the bumblebee adopts a brute force approach to flying. Their flight is inefficient as if the insect has been split in half. The left and right wings flap independently and the airflow around the wings never joins to help the bee slip through the air more easily.

It was a scientific mystery until only about a decade ago, but I wonder what those scientists would think if they would be faced by what I saw.

That crazy old woman was right, they would be here. I knew that if I followed my instincts that I would finally find them. Years of waiting and wondering and I can finally tell my lolo that he was right. All those stories of Handiong taming these things and how they were never seen again were true. Lolo and his platoon weren’t crazy. Their superiors thought that stories of flying sharks were silly superstition. I can’t wait to see their faces when I show them the Tiburones.

These sharks are incredibly interesting. I can’t tell what keeps them in the air. Is it a swim bladder that they somehow evolved and adapted? I have to get closer to find out. The rocks along this cove are very sharp, I managed to cut myself on a steep part of the climb, but it doesn’t matter. What’s a little blood if the prize is a scientific revolution?

I finally got close enough to the water to see what the Tiburones are doing. It seems like their diet consist of the birds and fish around the area. Their hunting pattern isn’t any different from regular sharks and they only fly out of the water when there’s a bird that’s attempting to get away.

Normal sharks rely on their sense of smell in the water so I was safe as long as I didn’t fall in. The largest shark in the frenzy seemed to be exhibiting leader behavior. This is different from regular sharks and I don’t think these things are anywhere close to the intelligence exhibited by those specimens. They seemed to be acting more like dolphins in their outward behavior.

I was by a cliffside to get better shots. This evidence can help me get the support I need for a full expedition. But the Tiburones have a different plan. They seem to be able to smell in the air as well as they do in the water. I barely escaped to a nearby cave in time.

I’m still inside the cave. The sharks are circling outside in the air. Maybe they’ll get tired and I can have a chance to escape.

If I don’t, to whoever’s reading this letter, please let the truth get out. They are out here. Don’t let my sacrifice be in vain.

 

Story inspired by the Ibalon (A Bikolano Epic).

For more stories follow The Spirits of the Philippine Archipelago

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Some have speculated that the Triburons in the Ibalon epic may not have been sharks at all but inspired (and embellished) by the real-life breaching activity of some species of Manta Rays. Scientists are not sure why they breach, but it may be due to sexual activity, giving birth, feeding, or communication.  It is a rarely observed activity and the reasons and extent of the activity remain somewhat of a mystery to modern science.

 

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