Whale sharks provide income for 80 residents of an Indonesian village — Taipei Times

The village of Botubarani in Indonesia’s Gorontalo province has become a tourist destination thanks to whale sharks that regularly appear near the coast. According to Taipei Times, about 80 local residents earn money by renting out boats, providing services for divers and using drones.

Forty-seven-year-old Ansar Lasimpala, who takes tourists on a glass-bottom boat, said he now earns up to 3 million Indonesian rupiah per month, or about US$165.81. Previously, when he worked as a fisherman, his monthly income was about 400,000 rupiah.

Tourist interest after video

Whale sharks had appeared near the beach for decades, but Botubarani gained widespread popularity after a 2016 video showing about a dozen of these fish at the same time was shared on Facebook. Tourists call the whale sharks Serli, a shortened form of the Indonesian expression “sering terlihat,” meaning “often seen.”

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Sukirman Tilahunga, head of a monitoring group at Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, said Botubarani is a feeding ground for whale sharks throughout their life cycle. Males up to 30 years old and measuring from 4 to 6 meters in length are usually found there. According to him, whale sharks can live up to 100 years and grow to 18 meters.

Calls to limit feeding

Conservation organization Konservasi Indonesia estimates the whale shark population on the eastern islands of the Indonesian archipelago at 699 individuals. The species is endangered.

Konservasi Indonesia representative Iqbal Gerwata Putra warned that constant feeding could alter the natural behavior of whale sharks and create risks to their health. According to him, restrictions are needed for humans and wild animals to coexist. Authorities are already trying to reduce feeding, while Sukirman Tilahunga has developed a solar-powered marine device that uses light to attract plankton and small fish, an important part of the whale sharks’ diet.