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(Source) Many pictures from Jasaan on this Source FB.

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A male sailfin lizard stops and looks back to check for any intruder. (Erwin M. Mascarinas) (Source)

A female sailfin lizard can be identified with its less dominant thorny dorsal fin. (Erwin M. Mascarinas) (Source)

I’ve always been a huge enthusiast when it comes to wild life photography although it has always been very hard for me since I could only afford a lens with much limited range. So it came as a delight after I heard of a village in the town of Jasaan in Misamis Oriental where I can get a glimpse of the sailfin lizard up close.

Searching for the location of the village was not that hard once I got to Jasaan since the lizard’s presence is already popular among the locals. After asking for directions along the national highway, I reached a residential area along the banks of the Solana river in Lower Solana and was pointed to a home of Rodolfo and Alma Dael.

Alma Dael pointed out that they have been feeding and protecting the lizards for 14 years.

Currently, the Dael family has recorded an estimated of around 70 sailfins visiting the concrete river dike outside the house.

It is yet to be determined if the lizard population is that of the endangered Philippine sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) or the Amboina sailfin lizard (Hydrosaurus amboinensis) which can be determined through proper scientific study and genetic matching. (Source)

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Rivers are always excellent places for picture taking.