Tourists drawn to Indonesia's whale sharks boost villagers' earnings
Passengers gasp in delight as Ansar Lasimpala, 47, manoeuvres his glass-hulled boat towards the large, dark shadow of a whale shark gliding under the waters off an Indonesian beach.
Passengers gasp in delight as Ansar Lasimpala, 47, manoeuvres his glass-hulled boat towards the large, dark shadow of a whale shark gliding under the waters off an Indonesian beach.
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Once a backwater where fishing was the only source of income, Ansar's village of Botubarani has turned into a tourism destination for those keen to interact with the whale sharks, which are the world's largest fish species.
"I have a more relaxed job now and the income is fairly good," said Ansar, after feeding the whale sharks with shrimp on the beach.
Ansar, who earns up to 3 million rupiah ($167) a month, far more than the 400,000 rupiah he formerly made as a fisherman, is one of roughly 80 villagers benefiting from the tourism boom, by offering boat rentals, diving services, and use of drones.
Video clips depicting a cluster of about a dozen whale sharks appearing together in 2016 sent the village viral on social media platform Facebook.
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Source reference: VnExpress International