Concerns Mount Over Whale and Whale Shark Deaths in Indonesia Amid Rising Strandings
Recent deaths of whales and whale sharks in Indonesia have sparked concern, with reports indicating a rise in strandings. A study suggests factors like oceanographic conditions are involved, though increased social media reporting may also be a contributing factor.
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According to the South China Morning Post, recent fatalities involving whales and whale sharks have caused worry across Indonesia. On September 25, a whale shark was found deceased after becoming stranded on a beach in Aceh province, shortly after a decomposed whale carcass was located in a mangrove in Riau province. Furthermore, another whale was discovered dead in West Java on September 21, just two days after a whale shark had stranded and died in South Sulawesi. The most recent recorded incident mentioned was a dead whale shark washing up in Bali on September 12.
These recent occurrences mirror a longer-term increase in documented whale shark strandings throughout the Indonesian archipelago. A 2025 study conducted by the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia and Konservasi Indonesia documented that the average annual number of whale shark strandings was fewer than 10 between 2011 and 2019. However, starting from 2020, that yearly average increased to over 22 cases.
The research, which was published in Scientific Reports, connected these strandings to various seasonal and oceanographic factors. These factors include sea-surface temperatures, wave height, and marine productivity, especially in regions impacted by seasonal upwelling. Seasonal upwelling is described as an oceanic process where currents driven by wind bring cold, nutrient-rich deep water to the surface, which in turn draws marine life that feeds on the coast. Nevertheless, the researchers noted that a significant portion of the perceived increase in whale shark strandings might be attributable to the greater use of smartphones and reporting on social media.
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