Is feeding whale sharks in Saleh Bay ethical? What the sources say

By Sumbawa Liveaboard Editorial Desk

Is feeding whale sharks in Saleh Bay ethical? The evidence does not support a simple verdict. Whale sharks forage at bagan nets on their own and fed in the area before the fishery began, yet operators and a traveller describe fish being added for visitors, and conservation groups warn of dependency. A guest can still ask questions and refuse practices.

What do whale sharks do at a bagan?

They feed. A bagan is a lift net worked from a platform, using light to attract small fish and shrimps. In the account given by the ISRA factsheet, the sharks gather around these nets and have been observed sucking baitfish from the outside of the net. That describes an animal taking food from a fishing operation, and nothing in it depends on a tourist being in the water.

It is also only part of how these sharks eat. The same factsheet reports accelerometer data on two sharks showing vertical foraging in 39 percent of 56 days of tracking time. Two animals cannot speak for the whole group, and the figure as given does not say where that foraging took place. It does show the two sharks spending a large share of their tracked time foraging, which is worth remembering when a seller implies the platforms are the whole story.

Is the behaviour natural or created by tourism?

Neither label fits on its own, because three separate things are stacked on each other. The first is natural foraging. The ISRA factsheet says local ecological knowledge indicates whale sharks fed on krill and small pelagic fish in the area before the bagan fishery started, which it gives as since 1992. Other accounts date the fishery's relationship with the sharks differently, so treat the start year as unsettled.

The second is the fishery. Sharks taking baitfish from nets is an effect of human activity, though it was not built for visitors. The third is tourism. Kompas says local whale shark tourism developed from 2018, which puts it well after the fishery on either account. So the sharks were at the nets first. Whether the presence of paying guests has since changed what happens at the nets is the open question, and it is where the bait reports come in. The research on the first two layers is set out in our piece on why whale sharks stay in Saleh Bay.

Who says bait is added?

Several parties, in different tones. None of them gives a measure of how often it happens.

Read together, these support a modest conclusion: adding fish happens at least some of the time, and at least one operator describes it openly. They do not tell you who pays for the fish, whether fishers do it on their own account, or how common it is on any given morning. A seller's statement that its own guests never see it, or a blog post saying everyone does it, would go beyond what is published.

Note also what the rules do and do not settle. Our page on Saleh Bay whale shark rules covers the law, distances and group limits. Whether the binding texts forbid throwing fish from a platform is something we cannot confirm. If someone tells you it is illegal, or that it is allowed, ask them to show you the clause.

What risks do conservation groups name?

The clearest statement comes from Konservasi Indonesia's report for 2025. It warns that the association with bagan fisheries may promote behavioural dependency, and that growing tourism, land pollution and local fishing may alter habitat use if not effectively managed. The word is "may" on both counts. This is a warning from people who monitor these animals, and it is not a measured harm. It also applies to the net association itself, so it reaches further than the bait question.

The government side is concerned too. A marine affairs ministry official quoted by Konservasi Indonesia says tourism that does not comply with technical guidelines is a point of concern, and that poorly managed tourism poses risks to whale shark health and to visitor safety. Visitors are part of the risk picture as well as the cause of it.

Touching is the most direct harm reported. Kompas says tourists often touch whale sharks, which makes the sharks dive away out of sight, and that more intensive tourism could threaten them. The travel writer reports group members touching the sharks, no briefing and a guide urging him closer, along with no enforceable cap on tourism. Ocean Earth Travels adds that five or six boats may cluster at one active bagan in the dry season, and that enforcement of distance and no-touch rules varies. These are reports from different kinds of source, and they point the same way: conduct at the platform depends heavily on who is running your morning.

What can a guest ask or refuse?

You cannot audit a fishing platform from a snorkel, but you can choose whom to pay and what you will do in the water. Before booking, ask:

• Does anyone add fish during your visits, and who decides that?
• Do you pay the fishers, and for what?
• What happens if there are no sharks and no fish is added? Will you leave, or wait?
• Who gives the briefing, and does it cover touching and distance?
• How many boats do you expect at the platform, and will you move or wait if it is crowded?

In the water, these choices stay with you:

• Do not touch, and do not follow a guide who urges you closer than you were briefed to go.
• Stay out if the platform is crowded in a way you are not comfortable with.
• Say so if you do not want fish thrown on your account. It may not change what the fishers do, but it tells the operator what its guests will pay for.
• Write down what you saw, with the operator's name, the date and the place, so you can raise it afterwards.

Some operators publish written codes. Amanwana's guest rules deal with contact and distance, and Tiger Blue states a code of no touching and no chasing. Check whether a code you are shown addresses bait as well as contact, because the two are different commitments. Ask the same of an offer from us, since a request through the desk can lead to a contract with a company in our group.

What other questions do guests raise about feeding?

Do fishermen feed the whale sharks in Saleh Bay?

Yes, according to some sources, though nobody has published how often. Coralia's sample itinerary says fishermen throw handfuls of fish, and Ocean Earth Travels says some operators add extra bait. Sharks also take baitfish from nets without any help.

Would whale sharks come to the bagans without tourists?

The published record points that way. The ISRA factsheet describes the sharks sucking baitfish from lift nets, and Kompas dates local whale shark tourism only from 2018, well after the fishery began.

Can bagan feeding make whale sharks dependent?

It may. Konservasi Indonesia's report for 2025 warns that the association with bagan fisheries may promote behavioural dependency. That is a warning from monitoring researchers, and it is not a measured result.

What happens when tourists touch a whale shark?

Kompas reports that the sharks dive away out of sight, which spoils the encounter for everyone and shows the animal is reacting. Treat touching as off limits, whatever others in the water are doing.

Can I ask a boat not to add bait?

Yes. Ask in writing before you pay and note the reply. The operator may not control what fishers do on their own platform, so ask directly what the crew will do if fish is thrown while you are there.

Which sources support this page?

• ISRA factsheet on Saleh Bay (IUCN SSC Shark Specialist Group)
• Kompas, on people and whale sharks in Saleh Bay
• Coralia Liveaboard, sample Komodo and Sumbawa itinerary (PDF)
• Ocean Earth Travels, Saleh Bay whale shark page (tour operator)
• First-person report by a travel writer on a Saleh Bay whale shark trip
• Konservasi Indonesia, Saleh Bay whale shark report for 2025
• Konservasi Indonesia, national whale shark action plan meeting
• Amanwana whale shark trade guide, 2023 (PDF)
• Tiger Blue, Sumbawa destination page

How do I reach the desk?

If a trip's conduct concerned you, or you think a source here is wrong, write to bd@juaraholding.com or message +62 811-3941-4563 on WhatsApp with the date and place. Corrections with a source behind them are read and considered for this page.