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

Indonesia has experienced a concerning cluster of five whale and whale shark strandings in the past three weeks. These incidents, occurring in provinces like Aceh and Riau, have prompted experts to investigate whether such events are increasing. Potential contributing factors identified by experts include environmental changes, human activities, and enhanced reporting mechanisms. The article notes specific instances, such as a whale shark stranding in Aceh on September 25 and a decomposed whale carcass found in Riau shortly before. The exact reasons for this apparent rise are still under examination by specialists.