Saleh Bay whale shark: where, when and how to visit well

By Saleh Bay Whale Shark Editorial Desk

A Saleh Bay whale shark trip usually means a pre-dawn boat ride from Labuhan Jambu, on Sumbawa, to lit fishing platforms called bagans, where young sharks feed near the surface. Konservasi Indonesia lists 174 identified individuals up to 2025. Sightings are never guaranteed, and this guide, with its request desk, runs no boats or tours.

What and where is Saleh Bay?

Saleh Bay, Teluk Saleh in Indonesian, is the largest bay on Sumbawa, in the province of West Nusa Tenggara. Wikipedia puts it on the north central part of the island, semi-enclosed by Moyo Island and the Sanggar Peninsula of Tambora. An IUCN shark specialist group factsheet says northeast Sumbawa instead, and describes a semi-enclosed embayment joined to the Flores Sea, with small islands, coral reefs, seagrass and mangroves. Liang, Ngali and Rakit are the three larger islands inside it, and three of Sumbawa's four regencies border it.

Its published size conflicts. West Nusa Tenggara's fisheries head, quoted by Antara, gives 1,459 square kilometres and a length of 282 kilometres. A 2025 Geographia Technica paper gives about 2,123 square kilometres. The difference changes nothing for a visitor. UNESCO's Saleh-Moyo-Tambora Biosphere Reserve, listed at 724,631 hectares, carries the bay's name and notes that dugong species and dolphins can be found there too.

Sumbawa whale shark tourism centres on Labuan Jambu village in Tarano District, according to Kompas. Many sources spell it Labuhan Jambu; both mean the same place, and our guide to Labuhan Jambu covers the village. Kompas dates the start of this tourism to 2018, around the Sail Moyo Tambora event. Antara now speaks of tens of thousands of tourists a year, a loose figure with no published count behind it. Tarano also has a whale shark education centre, with VR, animations and a reading corner, which Konservasi Indonesia says had drawn over a thousand visitors by mid 2025.

This site is a specialist guide under Juara Holding Group with a request desk attached. It runs nothing: no boats, rooms, tours or transfers. Requests through the desk can lead to a paid booking, so we have a commercial interest, and the disclaimer sets out what that means.

Why does a Saleh Bay whale shark trip centre on the bagans?

A bagan is a fishing platform. A paper on the bay's youngest sharks describes a wooden framework with bright lights that draw small fish, crustaceans and squid at night, and a large lift-net that catches small pelagic species such as anchovies, scads and mackerels. Whale sharks in Saleh Bay feed around these platforms, which gives boats a place to look for them. A 2021 study reports sharks at the bagans from about 05:00 to 09:00, after which they were no longer seen there. Departures in the dark follow from that window.

The platforms are only part of the reason sharks use the bay. A Frontiers study published in April 2026 tracked 70 sharks tagged at Indonesian sites including Saleh Bay between 2015 and 2025. It names Cenderawasih Bay and Saleh Bay as the persistent year-round habitats, and adds that individual residency is variable and generally short. The place stays occupied while individual sharks come and go. A 2025 paper in the same journal lists six Indonesian aggregations: Talisayan, Probolinggo, Botubarani, Saleh Bay, Cenderawasih Bay and Kaimana.

The bay may also matter for the youngest sharks. The authors of the paper above report what they call the first neonatal whale sharks recorded in Indonesia, and suggest Saleh Bay may serve as a pupping and early nursery area. That remains a suggestion: they note only 33 sightings worldwide of sharks under 1.5 metres before their work, and that no pupping or nursery ground had been identified anywhere.

How much of the feeding at platforms is natural, and how much is baiting for tourists, is the hardest open question here. Our page on whether the tourism is ethical sets out both sides with their sources.

How many whale sharks use the bay?

Three dated figures show how the list of Saleh Bay whale sharks has grown. A 2019 paper reported 42 individuals photo-identified by Conservation International, from unpublished data. Konservasi Indonesia's assessment for 2017 to 2022 supported at least about 108. Its 2025 report gives 174 up to 2025, the latest figure, from photo-identification and citizen science. These totals are lists of individuals recognised so far, so they do not tell you how many sharks are in the bay on a given morning. The count by year has every published number and why each differs.

What protection covers the sharks and the bay?

The IUCN Red List lists the whale shark as Endangered, with a decreasing population. Indonesia gave the species full protection under Ministerial Decree 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013, enacted on 20 May 2013 and shown as in force in the ministry's legal database. In 2026, Antara reports, Governor Decree 100.3.3.1-196 reserved part of the bay as a species-based conservation area covering feeding and nursery areas and movement routes. A reservation comes before full designation, and our conservation area page follows the process.

When can you see them, and what is disputed?

The IUCN factsheet records observations year-round for 2017 to 2022, with the largest number in March and April. Observation counts can reflect how much survey work happened in a month, so that peak may be partly about effort. Ocean Earth Travels, an operator, says sightings peak in August and September. These claims cannot both describe the same peak, and no month-by-month sighting table is available to test them. The season guide weighs them, and the page on guarantees explains why no month removes the risk of an empty morning.

How do you reach Labuhan Jambu?

Most routes end with a drive along Sumbawa. Sumbawa Besar's airport, SWQ, is one of two on the island and has Wings Air flights to Lombok and Denpasar, per Wikipedia. Kompas reports about two hours by road from that airport to the village, while Ocean Earth Travels says about three. Check flights with the airline, since schedules move. Our guide to getting to Saleh Bay compares the options, and there are separate pages for trips from Lombok and from Bali.

What should a responsible visitor check first?

Konservasi Indonesia warns that the strong link with bagans may promote behavioural dependency and more human interactions. A visitor cannot fix that alone, but a few questions change what you are paying for:

• Bait. Ask the seller, in writing, whether crews add bait or hand fish to hold sharks at the platform.
• Rules. Read the local and national rules and ask how the guide applies them in the water.
• Money. The price table on this page shows published third-party figures for trips and fees. None of them is ours, so ask what your quote includes, and use our tour checklist to compare sellers.
• A blank morning. Ask what happens if no shark appears, and get the answer before you pay.
• Your own limits. Read the safety page before you commit to open water at dawn.

Which guide page answers which question?

What do first-time planners ask about Saleh Bay?

Where is Saleh Bay?

Saleh Bay is on the north side of Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, opening to the Flores Sea. Wikipedia calls the position north central and an IUCN factsheet says northeast. Whale shark trips centre on Labuan Jambu village in Tarano District.

Why do whale sharks gather in Saleh Bay?

Whale sharks feed around bagans, lit fishing platforms that concentrate small fish and other prey, and a 2026 tracking study names the bay a persistent year-round habitat. Individual sharks tend to stay for short and variable periods, according to that study.

Can you see whale sharks at Saleh Bay?

Yes, visitors do, usually in the early morning around bagans, but nothing guarantees it. They are wild animals, and published sighting evidence is limited to small samples and claims made by the businesses selling the trips.

Why is Saleh Bay important for whale sharks?

It holds a long-term photo-identified group of mostly young male sharks, and researchers suggest it may serve as a pupping and early nursery area, though that is not confirmed. In 2026 the province reserved part of the bay as a conservation area.

How do you get to Saleh Bay?

The reported routes reach Labuhan Jambu by road, after a flight to Sumbawa Besar or a ferry from Lombok to Poto Tano. Published road times from the airport differ, with Kompas giving about two hours and one operator about three.

Which sources support this page?

• Wikipedia: Saleh Bay
• IUCN shark specialist group: Saleh Bay Important Shark and Ray Area factsheet
• Antara: West Nusa Tenggara on protecting key species in Saleh Bay
• Geographia Technica: 2025 paper on Saleh Bay
• UNESCO: Saleh-Moyo-Tambora Biosphere Reserve
• Kompas: whale shark tourism in Saleh Bay
• Antara: keeping whale sharks and people in balance in Saleh Bay
• Konservasi Indonesia: the whale shark education centre
• Diversity (MDPI): neonatal whale shark records in Saleh Bay
• IOP Conference Series: 2021 study of whale sharks at Saleh Bay bagans
• Frontiers in Marine Science: 2026 satellite tracking study
• Frontiers in Marine Science: 2025 paper on Indonesian whale shark aggregations
• IOP Conference Series: 2019 paper on Indonesian whale shark tourism
• Konservasi Indonesia: early assessment of population, habitat and economic value
• Konservasi Indonesia: 2025 whale shark report for Saleh Bay
• IUCN Red List: whale shark
• Indonesian marine ministry legal database: Decree 18/KEPMEN-KP/2013
• Antara: West Nusa Tenggara reserves Saleh Bay as a conservation area
• Ocean Earth Travels: whale sharks of Saleh Bay (operator)
• Wikipedia: Sultan Muhammad Kaharuddin III Airport
• thelangkahtravel.com
• oceanearthtravels.com
• thelangkahtravel.com

How do I reach the desk?

Questions, source corrections and trip requests go to the desk on WhatsApp +62 811-3941-4563 or by email at bd@juaraholding.com. The desk answers, but only a written offer binds anyone, and it names the fee, the price and the contracting company before you agree.