GET TO KNOW THE RIGHT WHALE SHARK INTERACTION TOUR
By: Novita Dyah Forentina
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) or spotted shark is the largest fish species in the world, reaching more than 18 meters in length and weighing up to 34 tons. It has a wide, flat head with a large mouth, gills and dorsal fin. The unique white spotted pattern on the whale shark's body can be used as a basis for recognizing an individual.
Whale Shark in Talisayan Waters, Berau
The appearance of whale sharks was first noticed by fishermen around the waters of Talisayan, Berau Regency in the 1990s while fishing. This large species is known as karitan tok'ke by the local community. The frequency of whale shark occurrence increased in line with the widespread use of bagan fishing gear by fishermen in Talisayan and Derawan waters during the 2010s to the present. Whale sharks circulate around the area due to the availability of natural food in the form of small shrimps, small fish, and zooplankton, which are widely available in the waters filled with bagan fishing gear. Based on whale shark population data collection using the whaleshark photo identification method (photo ID whaleshark) conducted by WWF Indonesia Foundation, Berau Regency Fisheries Service and Whale Shark Indonesia in 2014-2022 in Berau Waters, the number of whale shark individuals ever found was recorded as many as 98 individuals with a dominant size of 5 - 7 meters which is the size of juveniles.
With whale sharks often appearing in Berau waters, it has suddenly become one of the new special interest attractions loved by tourists. Unfortunately, these tourism operators have not done their best to implement operational standards for interacting with whale sharks, which could even potentially threaten the habitat and this fully protected species - based on the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 18 of 2013.
Some of the threats affecting whale sharks in Berau Regency, of course, are not only from tourism activities. One of the threats also comes from water pollution such as plastic waste found in whale shark habitats. This is because whale sharks swim while sucking up water and eat prey carried by the water through their gills. So this allows the plastic waste to be accidentally sucked in by the whale shark. Then, with fisheries activities increasing around the whale shark's habitat, it is possible that whale sharks can become entangled in fishing nets. Some whale sharks have been found with wounds on their fins and tails, allegedly due to friction with fishing nets and boats. Fortunately, whale sharks have the ability to recover if their injuries are relatively minor.
Whale Shark Data Collection through Whaleshark Photo ID in Talisayan Waters, Berau Regency
With the possibility of threats occurring - in the waters of Berau Regency as well as other waters that are the habitat of whale sharks in Indonesia -, the Government of Indonesia issued the Decree of the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia Number 16 of 2021 concerning the National Action Plan for Whale Shark Conservation in 2021-2025. The main efforts of this action plan consist of 3 things including protection, conservation and responsible and sustainable non-extractive utilization of whale sharks. However, the National Action Plan (NAP) for Whale Shark Conservation is also not widely known by the people in Indonesia, especially the people of Talisayan and Derawan Island who intensely interact with whale sharks in the waters of Berau Regency.
WWF Indonesia through the EU Ocean Governance Project in collaboration with the East Kalimantan Provincial Marine and Fisheries Service (DKP), Pontianak Coastal and Marine Resources Management Center (BPSPL), and Berau Regency Fisheries Service held a socialization of the National Action Plan for Whale Shark Conservation and training on Better Management Practice (BMP) Technical Guidelines for Monitoring and Good Tourism Practices for Interaction with Whale Sharks Edition in June 2022. This activity was attended by 45 participants consisting of tour guide groups, bagan owners, Pokdarwis, Pokmaswas, fishermen, and village government, located in Talisayan District, Berau Regency.
Participants in a Focused Discussion on the Code of Conduct for Interacting with Whale Sharks
Rahmat Setyawan as the Head of Talisayan Village as well as a participant in this socialization and training activity said, "With this training, fishermen or guides are expected to continue educating tourists who visit spotted sharks, so that their sustainability can be maintained".
Best practices that can be done when interacting with whale sharks include tourism actors can carry out tourism activities that can be profitable but still meet customer safety standards; minimize impacts on target species and their habitats through the application of an appropriate code of conduct; build good relationships with local communities; and have a culture that always improves itself and obeys regulations.
The things that need to be considered when interacting with whale sharks include: The ship must reduce speed, maximum 10 knots within 1 km and 2 knots within 50 m distance from the chart with whale sharks; The ship engine is off with a maximum of 4 ships in 1 chart; The maximum number of snorkelers in the water is 6 people in 1 group with a maximum interaction of 15 minutes; The guide acts as the leader of the first descent followed by tourists calmly without jumping; The maximum number of tourists in one chart per day is 40 snorkelers; Group changes are arranged through coordination between guides by considering the entire maximum number of snorkelers and the maximum duration of the tour; Tourists are prohibited from using strobes or flashes when using cameras, prohibited from provoking, making loud noises, making sudden movements, touching / chasing / riding whale sharks, feeding whale sharks, or throwing garbage in the sea; Snorkelers must immediately swim back to the boat according to the duration of the visit; The guide is the last snorkeler to get on the boat.
"I personally also just found out that one of the best practices in interacting with these whale sharks, especially minimizing the impact of disturbance on their habitat and fish, is not to fish in the morning, which is the time when spotted sharks are more active around the bagan" added Rahmat.