{
  "id": 18427252,
  "title": "Tourists drawn to Indonesia’s whale sharks boost villagers’ earnings",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/tourists-drawn-to-indonesias-whale-sharks-boost-villagers-earnings-18427252",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-06T02:27:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/11/06/tourists-drawn-to-indonesia-s-whale-sharks-boost-villagers-earnings"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Indonesia's Botubarani village has become a popular tourist destination for those who wish to interact with whale sharks, the world's largest fish species. Local resident Ansar Lasimpala, 47, has benefited from the tourism boom, earning up to 3 million rupiah (US$167) a month by offering boat rentals, diving services, and drone usage. The village's income has significantly increased, compared to his former earnings as a fisherman. Whale sharks have appeared off the beach for decades, but a viral Facebook post in 2016 brought attention to the area. The whale sharks, which are not whales and breathe through gills, are an endangered species with a population estimate of 699 across the eastern islands of the archipelago. While tourism benefits the locals, concerns have been raised about the potential impact on wildlife due to constant feeding. Authorities have attempted to limit feeding activities by developing a solar-powered marine attractor that uses light to attract plankton and small fish, critical for the whale sharks' diet.",
  "summary": "Villagers across the archipelago's eastern islands benefit from the tourism boom by offering boat rentals, diving services and drone services.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}