Teluk Cenderawashih National Park Whale Sharks
The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is an iconic species for Teluk Cenderawasih National Park (TCNP), West Papua and Papua. They appear regularly near lift-net fisheries (bagans) year round in some areas, especially near Kwatisore in West Papua, resulting in the development of limited tourism since 2009. The objective of our study was to document the characteristics (i.e., number, size, sex) of whale sharks that occur in TCNP. Juvenile male whale sharks appear to be transient and highly mobile in Cenderawasih Bay. Whether adult males or adult females occur here is not known, as they may not be attracted to the fishing bagans or do not otherwise approach the sea surface where they can be observed. Because of the increased tourism for whale sharks and the interactions of whale sharks with the fishing bagans, we recommend continued systematic observations of whale sharks and vigilant surveillance for understanding the dynamics of interactions among tourist activities, fishing operations, and whale sharks.