Whale shark tourism is booming, with more and more people searching for that elusive encounter with the world’s largest fish. While it is undoubtedly thrilling to see whale sharks in the wild, care must be taken to ensure such interactions do not come at the detriment of an endangered species. Scuba Junkie SEAS is supporting local and government groups to safeguard a sustainable future.
By Scuba Junkie Conservation Manager, Cat McCann
In recent years, many new whale shark tourism destinations have popped up along migratory paths for these majestic giants. Coastal communities who once fished the waters have now realised the economic opportunity presented by whale shark tourism. Alternative livelihoods, such as this, are vital for improving the quality of life of remote, coastal communities, as well as alleviating fishing pressures on the world’s oceans. However, while tourism presents a lot of opportunities, it also brings with it some potential problems – it is more difficult to ensure responsible behaviour with large groups and more tourists requires more boats in the water which can lead to an increase in the number of boat strikes.
Unfortunately, many tourists want a ‘guaranteed return on their investment’ – which has led to communities feeding the animals in a bid to encourage them to remain in the area for longer. This increases their ‘hit’ rate and can prolong their season leading to increased tourist numbers as their reputation for ‘guaranteed’ whale shark encounters grows. However, whale shark feeding, like that seen at Oslob in the Philippines, is a hotbed of contention, polarising scientists and tourists alike about the ethical ramifications and authenticity of ‘ecotourism’ trips to see these sharks. Feeding marine life in general is deemed to be ecologically damaging as animals no longer fulfil their role in the marine ecosystem leading to an imbalance and knock-on consequences. It can also result in health problems for the animals if they are no longer obtaining their full dietary requirements and may affect migratory behaviour with unknown long-term implications.
A balance must therefore be sought to achieve a sustainably managed whale shark tourism industry which seeks to minimise the potential negative consequences. This is the approach being taken by Whale Shark Indonesia and the Indonesian Department of Fisheries in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan.
Pulau Derawan is world renowned for its large resident population of green turtles, as well as its close proximity to Pulau Sangalaki, a hotspot for manta enthusiasts, and Pulau Kakaban with its stingless jellyfish lake. However, it is also quickly becoming well-known for the whale sharks that congregate around the nearby bagans (fishing platforms).
These bagans move between two locations – one a mere 20 minute boat-ride from Derawan, the other further south, close to Talisayan. The fishermen move their bagans to follow the schools of baitfish, which make up the bulk of their catch. Large nets are dropped below the bagan at night and bright lights are illuminated to attract their intended targets. Small bait fish are attracted to the lamp – and gather under the platform before being caught by the net. Whale sharks regularly approach the bagans, attracted by the baitfish in the net. The following morning, the fishermen sort through their catch, discarding items of no commercial value and cleaning their nets.
As news of the opportunity to snorkel with these whale sharks spread, the numbers of tourists coming to see the sharks also steadily grew. Whale Shark Indonesia realised they needed to step in early to ensure the growth of this attraction is done in a responsible and sustainable manner. “Whale sharks are incredible animals – I chose to study them because I realised how lucky I was to see an animal like this in my home waters”, said Mahardika Rizqi Himawan, Lead Scientist for Whale Shark Indonesia. “As endangered species, we must do everything we can to protect the individuals we see in Berau waters.”
Whale shark tourism is relatively new to the area, but already a simple yet effective system has been put in place to ensure high encounter rates. Tourists are brought to the bagans by members of the local community, not the dive centres. Once aware of potential customers, the community call their friends on the bagans to find out if any of the gentle giants are around. If not, tourists are encouraged to be patient and wait until they have a higher chance. If there are some around, the fishermen throw some scraps into the water throughout the night to try to encourage them to stay put. Just before dawn the tourists are collected and brought out to the bagans for the experience of a lifetime. On arrival, information is passed between the various boats to try to ensure a successful trip for everyone – it is not unusual to see six different sharks in a morning.
Earlier this year Derawan Marine Protected Area (KKP3K) Work Unit, the Centre of Marine and Coastal Resource Management (BPSPL) Pontianak-Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, Whale Shark Indonesia and WWF Indonesia developed and launched a strict ‘Code of Conduct’ for whale shark interactions to ensure that tourists and operators behave in an appropriate manner that will not be detrimental to the health of the whale sharks.
Whale sharks are a protected species in Indonesian waters, and the waters of Derawan are a Marine Protected Area (MPA). This means that the Code of Conduct can be enforced, with those breaking the law banned from entering the Derawan MPA for one month. This is something that Mahardika is keen to enforce from the start at both Talisayan and Derawan.
The rules stipulate how close boats and snorkelers are allowed to approach the animals, limits the number of boats and people that allowed to be at each bagan and includes a strict ‘no touch’ policy, all of which are enforced by Wardens who are posted on the bagans.
Guides taking tourists to the bagans must be registered with the Derawan MPA authorities and must list and register their guests. Guides must give their tourists full briefings on responsible conduct around the sharks during the experience – and are responsible for enforcing good behaviour from their guests.
To facilitate this, Whale Shark Indonesia and the project partners have produced a series of posters and handouts in Bahasa Indonesia and English for the guides to display and explain to their guests. The posters give biology and conservation information about whale sharks in the Berau Regency, as well as detailing the Code of Conduct.
After the experience, tourists are encouraged to participate in whale shark conservation and citizen science by sending in photos of the whale sharks to Whale Shark Indonesia for identification purposes. Individual whale sharks can be identified by the spot pattern above their left pectoral fin – which is unique to each individual. Whale Shark Indonesia are building up a population database of whale sharks seen in the Berau area. For example – it is now known that as of Sept 2018, 98 individual whale sharks have been sighted!
“Citizen science is a great way for divers and snorkelers to make their trips more meaningful and contribute towards the protection of these majestic animals,” said Mahardika, continuing “tourists to Derawan are contributing to whale shark conservation in many ways. Not only are they participating and supporting a responsible tourism initiative, and supporting the community in their work, but they are also directly contributing to research in the region.”
“This research will be able to further conservation efforts for whale sharks in Indonesia. The more we know about these incredible animals, the more we can advise and shape further programmes and projects to protect them.”
Whale Shark Indonesia also collaborate with operators on the islands to run ‘Whale Shark Interaction Protocol Workshops’ to ensure that all operators know about the rules and guidelines for interacting with whale sharks.
Notably, Whale Shark Indonesia partnered with Scuba Junkie SEAS for their annual Whale Shark Week celebrations – a week of activities aimed at raising awareness of whale shark biology and conservation with the local community and school children, and expanding local and international whale shark population databases by encouraging submission of ID photos to Whale Shark Indonesia. Scuba Junkie SEAS is the conservation arm of the award-winning dive operator, Scuba Junkie – who promote and support the local initiative in responsible whale shark tourism through promoting the experience to their international guests.
“I believe that through working together, government, NGOs, local community and local businesses – we can work to find the best way forward for whale shark tourism in this area” Mahdika said. “I am heartened by the response so far, and by how positive everyone has been about the initiative. We have had people come back from the bagans enthusing about how incredible the experience was – and part of what made it incredible for them was that they knew it was being managed in a responsible manner. I’m also very happy with the number of new ID shots we are getting for our research projects!”
Scuba Junkie Conservation Manager, Cat McCann.
Scuba Junkie was set up by divers who had and still have, a love and dedication to the marine and terrestrial environment and through the years have tried to set up and run many projects and build an Eco-friendly resort containing green waste systems, solar energy, the use of only biodegradable cleaning products and plastics and sticking to proper and responsible dive practices etc, so that this beautiful area can be preserved for future generations and that the people of Sabah can thrive from the increased economy brought about by sensible, sustainable Eco-tourism.
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This piece was edited and posted onto SEVENSEAS Media by Giacomo Abrusci