A total of 70 whale sharks in the Pacific and Indian Oceans were tagged over a ten-year period to map their movement patterns.
The results showed that they move through waters in 13 different countries. Most aggregation sites are seasonal, but to the scientists' surprise there are two places "that are like home" for the whale sharks - in the large bays of Cenderawasih and Saleh in Indonesia, they are present year-round.
Stranded whale sharks have become more common in Indonesia in recent years. The species has been on the Red List since 2016 and is primarily threatened by pollution and collisions with ships.
