ENJOYING WHALE SHARK SIGHTINGS IN GORONTALO by Fardah

 Jakarta, April 23, 2016 (Antara)- Playing with gentle but giant whale sharks in open sea is not just a dream for animal lovers  while scuba diving or boating in Gorontalo waters in Sulawesi, where daily whale shark sightings are common currently.

        Up to six or seven whale sharks usually approach the boats in Gorontalo waters, in expectation of some food. 
   The giant fish have been spotted in the same spot in the last two years as a nearby shrimp factory has been throwing its unwanted shrimp shells and heads into the ocean.  
   "The whale sharks love to eat them. This means that whale shark sightings occur daily at this location," according to information provided by Miguel's diving center on http://miguelsdiving.com.

       The whale shark sightings have attracted many domestic as well as foreign tourists who come visiting Gorontalo, also known for its amazing under-water biodiversity which some divers term "one of Sulawesi's best-kept-secrets."
  Unfortunately, because the sharks are very gentle, many visitors try to touch them or take pictures too close to them.    

  The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been concerned about such behavior towards the giant fish because  it could harm both the animal and the human beings.

        For safety sake,  WWF has published guidelines for whale shark encounters, which include a caution against touching the whale shark and certainly not to ride one or grab a fin.

        According to the NGO, whale shark's tail could be dangerous. Therefore, WWF advises that a safe distance of two meters from the whale shark's head and three meters from its tail be always maintained. 
   WWF guidelines indicate that no one should use a camera flash. Divers should also not chase them. The whale sharks will pass by the divers waiting patiently by the pinnacles, Miguel's Diving wrote.

        Gorontalo Governor Rusli Habibie on April 18 reopened the whale shark sighting tourism in Botubarani coast, Kabila sub-district, Bone District, after it was halted because the animal and visitors were coming too close.

       "We deliberately closed the area to rearrange and regulate (the tourism). Now, tight regulations have been put in place and no one is allowed to touch whale sharks, nor litter the area," Rusli Habibie said.

        "Go Scuba" Dive Center's Noor Sitoresmi said her center and hotel were fully booked as tourists from Jakarta, Bangka Belitung, and Makassars come to watch whale sharks.

        Foreign tourists from France and Romania, apart from other countries, also visit the province for diving.

        "The sharks are a blessing, particularly for us, diving centers and accommodation providers. Most of the tourists are amazed at the diving spots and culinary products in Gorontalo," Sitoresmi said.

         A researcher of Whale Shark Indonesia (WSI), Mahardika Rizqi Himawan, recently identified six whale sharks in Botubarani village, Bone Bolango District, Gorontalo province, as male and juvenile.

        These were between four and seven meters in length, meaning that they were still young, he said in Gorontalo.

        Juvenile whale sharks are usually found along the coast, while the adult ones are in deeper waters, according to him.

        He noticed a behavioral change because when fishermen knock their boat's body to call the sharks, the animals immediately approach the boats.

        "In science, this behavioral change is not so good. Indeed, there is no research concerning the long term impact of the change, but we believe that it's important to keep the sharks wild for the sake of their preservation," Mahardika explained.

       No one should feed the sharks, only then will these remain wild in nature, like those in the Philippines, he remarked.

       According to WWF, the population of whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay, Papua Province, is 126.

         The WSI data shows that there are 36 whale sharks in East Kalimantan, 28 in Probolinggo, East Java Province, one in Banggai, Central Sulawesi, one in Sabang Isle, Aceh, and seven in Gorontalo.

         Unlike whales, sharks are not mammals but belong to a group of cartilaginous fishes.

         The whale shark (Rhinodon typus) earned the name "whale" solely because of its size.

      The whale shark is the largest species among fish, and females have been known to reach 65 feet in length and weigh up to 34 tons.

        Like blue whale, whale shark is filter feeder and consumes krill, other zooplankton, fish eggs, and small fishes by bobbing up and down near the water surface to pump prey-filled water over their gills or by swimming with their wide mouths agape.

       The gentle whale shark is listed as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species due to threats from commercial fishing, but the growth of whale-shark tourism may lead some communities to see them as more valuable alive. ***1***
(f001/INE/a014)
EDITED BY INE 23-04-2016 20:39:58