Asik OriginalDari
RM 232
Teluk Saleh, Sumbawa
Snorkel Jerung Paus, Teluk Saleh
Pengalaman baharu
1 HariKumpulan kecil
Snorkel beside feeding whale sharks at the fishermen's bagan platforms in Saleh Bay.
Saleh Bay is a wide, sheltered gulf on Sumbawa's north coast where fishermen anchor bagan, floating bamboo lift net platforms, and work them through the night under bright lamps. The lamps draw baitfish, and around dawn whale sharks drift in to feed on what is trapped around the bamboo. That habit, not any tourist operation, is why you can get in the water with them here.
The animals are mostly juveniles. A photo identification study covering 2017 to 2022 catalogued 108 individuals with a mean length of just over five metres, 99 per cent of them juveniles or sub adults, and 76 per cent resighted across multiple years, so these are the same animals returning rather than a passing population. In 2025 researchers documented five newborn whale sharks of 1.3 to 1.5 metres in the bay within a single month, which is remarkable given that only around 33 sharks under 1.5 metres appear in the entire global literature, and which points to Saleh Bay being a pupping or nursery ground.
On 7 May 2026 the NTB provincial government designated 73,165 hectares of Saleh Bay as a conservation area specifically for whale sharks, on the back of a ten year satellite tagging study that followed more than 70 animals. That is a first step in Indonesia's marine protected area process rather than a finished national park, but it is real.
One honest caveat. Conservation groups say the sharks are not deliberately fed and that the aggregation is natural. Some Indonesian commercial listings, however, describe bait being used to hold the animals at the platform. Ask your operator directly what they do.
Cara ke sana
Almost all trips leave from Labuan Jambu, a fishing village in Tarano district on Sumbawa's north east coast, which is roughly two to three hours by road east of Sumbawa Besar depending on which source you believe. From the harbour it is another one to two hours by fishing boat out to the bagan. This is an organised tour rather than something you arrange at the jetty on the morning. Expect a brutal start. Operators typically meet at Labuan Jambu around 03:30, reach the platforms by about 05:30 and put you in the water from around 06:00, returning mid morning. Prices quoted in 2026 start from around IDR 500,000 to 700,000 per person on a shared or half day trip, rising steeply for small groups and solo travellers, with separate conservation and entrance charges of around IDR 50,000 each and boat charters in the region of IDR 800,000 to 1,000,000 for a group of ten.
Masa terbaik
Whale sharks are present year round, but operators consistently point to April to November for calm seas and reliable trips, and advise avoiding January to March when wind, swell and currents keep many fishermen ashore. Worth noting that the published photo identification data from 2017 to 2022 recorded its highest observation counts in March and April, which does not line up neatly with the operator season, so treat any promise of a peak month with scepticism.
Baik untuk diketahui
Nothing is guaranteed. Operators advertising a whale shark guarantee are generally offering a partial refund rather than a sighting, often only on half day trips and often only a fraction of what you paid. Read what the guarantee actually promises before you book on the strength of it. The code of conduct is specific and worth knowing before you are in the water at 6am: no more than 20 people in the water per 30 minute rotation, a maximum interaction of about 60 minutes, at least three metres' distance at the sides and four metres from the tail, no touching, no flash photography, and enter the water quietly rather than jumping in. Life jackets are required and a local guide accompanies each group. Ask your operator whether they use bait, because practice varies.
No. The sharks are wild and come and go freely, so some mornings produce several and others none. Operators advertising a guarantee usually mean a partial refund rather than a sighting, so check what is actually promised before booking on that basis.
Sources disagree. Conservation groups and researchers say the sharks gather naturally to feed on baitfish already drawn to the fishermen's lamps and are not deliberately provisioned, while some Indonesian commercial listings describe bait being used to keep them at the platform. The code of conduct forbids tourists feeding them. Ask your operator directly.
Very early. Operators typically meet at Labuan Jambu around 03:30, reach the bagan platforms by about 05:30 and have you in the water from around 06:00, returning mid morning. That usually means leaving accommodation in the small hours.
No more than 20 people in the water per 30 minute rotation, a maximum interaction of around 60 minutes, at least three metres of distance at the sides and four metres from the tail, no touching, no flash photography, and no jumping in. Life jackets are mandatory and a guide accompanies each group.
It is now. On 7 May 2026 the NTB provincial government designated 73,165 hectares of the bay as a conservation area for whale sharks, following a ten year satellite tagging study of more than 70 animals. This is a provincial first step in Indonesia's marine protected area process rather than a fully gazetted national park.
Mostly juveniles. A study covering 2017 to 2022 catalogued 108 individuals averaging just over five metres, almost all juveniles or sub adults, with three quarters resighted in later years. Researchers also documented five newborns of 1.3 to 1.5 metres in 2025, suggesting the bay may be a nursery ground.
Tambahkannya ke dalam laluan merentasi Indonesia dan kami akan kira masa perjalanan dan kos antara setiap hentian.
Bina perjalanan anda
