Mataram, Dec. 16 -- Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a newborn whale shark measuring approximately 135 to 145 centimeters in the waters of Saleh Bay, north of Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

"Scientifically, this is a very strong signal and indicates that Saleh Bay likely serves an ecological function as a birthing and nursery area for whale shark pups," said Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra, Senior Manager of Konservasi Indonesia (KI), in a statement in Mataram, on Tuesday.

The discovery of a whale shark pup living in the wild was announced in the journal Diversity and positions Saleh Bay as one of the strongest candidates for a whale shark nursery in the world.

The discovery also opens the possibility of unraveling on...