November 6, 2025 | 05:47 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A new study published in Scientific Reports has revealed concerning trends in whale shark strandings across Indonesia between 2011 and 2023, raising alarm among scientists and conservationists worldwide.
The findings underscore that strandings pose a serious threat to the survival of the species, which is already listed as endangered globally.
Conducted in the Indo-Pacific region, the study is the first to examine the spatial and temporal distribution of strandings, the influence of oceanographic factors, and their implications for conservation.
Over a 12-year period, researchers recorded 115 stranding events involving 127 whale sharks across 23 Indonesian provinces, a figure that surpasses previously documented global reports.
Iqbal Herwata, Focal Species Conservation Senior Manager at Conservation Indonesia and the study’s lead author, reported that more than 70 percent of the stranded whale sharks were juveniles measuring between four and seven meters.
“This is a concerning trend, especially since juveniles represent a critical life stage for the sustainability of the species in the Indo-Pacific region,” Iqbal said in a written statement on Thursday, November 6, 2025.
The study also identified a sharp increase in strandings since 2020. “Before 2020, Indonesia recorded around four cases per year, but this figure has surged to 22 per year since then,” he added.
According to Iqbal, oceanographic conditions play a significant role in these incidents. Most strandings occurred during the southeast monsoon and transitional period between June and November, times associated with upwelling events that lower sea surface temperatures and boost marine productivity, influencing whale shark movement.
He further noted that whale sharks migrating southward from the Saleh Gulf, Western Australia, and Christmas Island may encounter environmental pressures that increase their risk of stranding.
The study found that most whale sharks in Indonesia were stranded alive, with 52 live cases compared to 46 found dead.
The southern coast of Java, including West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, and East Java, was identified as a major hotspot, along with West Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara, where several mass strandings have been reported.
Sarmintohadi, Director of Species Conservation and Genetics at the Marine Resources Management Agency under the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, described the research as “strategic for strengthening Indonesia’s conservation framework.”
“Identifying vulnerable locations and seasons for strandings provides a scientific basis for the National Whale Shark Action Plan,” he said.
“It will also help enhance rapid response networks and integrate mitigation measures against ship strikes, coastal pollution, and fishing-related threats.”
He emphasized that protecting juvenile whale sharks represents a long-term investment in both Indonesia’s marine biodiversity and global conservation efforts.
Meanwhile, Fahmi, a marine biologist at Indonesia’s National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), called the findings “a crucial conservation alert.”
“One key effort is building a rapid response network that integrates community-based observations and local media reports into scientific literature to strengthen global whale shark data,” he said.
Fahmi added that the growing number of juvenile strandings serves as a warning for conservation efforts in the Indo-Pacific, where whale shark populations have declined by 63 percent over the past three generations.
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