Jakarta, March 26, 2016 (Antara)- With over 17 thousand islands, Indonesia is the largest and most varied archipelago on Earth and spans over 5,000 equatorial kilometres between Asia and Australia.
Its total coastline extends over 80,000 km, close to one third of the Earth's circumference at the equator.
So, it is not surprising if Indonesian waters have an exceptionally high whale and dolphin diversity.
Twenty nine different cetacean species inhabit these waters, several of which are rare and endangered, according to APEX Environmental, an environmental organization with extensive expertise in oceanic whale and dolphin surveys, and cetacean ecology research.
More than one third of all known whales and dolphins species worldwide can be found in Indonesian waters, according to APEX, whose Indonesian Oceanic Cetacean Program (IOCP) has conducted research in Bunaken, Tua Marine Park and Sangihe Talaud in North Sulawesi, and Komodo National Park in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
Indonesia's tropical cetaceans include Spinner, Spotted, Indo-pacific Bottlenose, Fraser's and Rough-toothed Dolphins, as well as Melon-headed, False Killer, Pygmy Killer Whales and Eden's Whale.
Indonesia's tropical cetaceans include Spinner, Spotted, Indo-pacific Bottlenose, Fraser's and Rough-toothed Dolphins, as well as Melon-headed, False Killer, Pygmy Killer Whales and Eden's Whale.
