5 dead in 3 weeks: are Indonesia’s whale strandings on the rise?

AI Summary

Five whale and whale shark strandings have been reported across Indonesia in three weeks, prompting questions about whether the incidents are becoming more frequent. Experts cite environmental changes, human activity, and improved reporting as possible factors; recent cases were reported in Aceh and Riau.

A cluster of whale and whale shark strandings across Indonesia – five in the past three weeks alone – has raised questions over whether such incidents are becoming more frequent, with experts pointing to a mix of environmental shifts, human activity and improved reporting as possible explanations. On September 25, a whale shark became stranded and died on a beach in Aceh province, just days after a decomposed whale carcass was discovered in a mangrove in Riau province. Another whale was found...