February 12, 2026
JAKARTA (Feb. 12, 2026) – Indonesian marine scientists have successfully deployed a LIMPET satellite tag onto a pygmy blue whale using a drone for the first time, marking a major innovation in humane marine research.
The deployment took place on 13 October 2025 during a research expedition led by Konservasi Indonesia in collaboration with Indonesian universities and conservation partners. The technique—developed by the Centre for Whale Research Western Australia—offers a more humane and less invasive alternative to the conventional airgun-based tagging method, which can cause tissue damage and stress in whales.
Following the deployment, the tagged whale travelled approximately 2,000 kilometres, generating new data on the southbound migration of pygmy blue whales. This movement remains one of the least documented migration patterns in the region, and the information collected will help strengthen conservation planning in Indonesia and neighbouring Timor-Leste.
“Landing the tag was an unforgettable moment,” said Mochamad Iqbal Herwata, Focal Species Conservation Senior Manager at Konservasi Indonesia. “It marked a major step forward for whale research in Indonesia. Drone-based LIMPET tagging allows us to gather critical migration data while minimising disturbance to the animal, and these insights are already helping us understand how pygmy blue whales move through the Lesser Sunda Seascape and how we can better protect them.”
This trial is part of a broader effort by Konservasi Indonesia, Conservation International, and government partners from Indonesia and Timor-Leste to improve scientific understanding across the Lesser Sunda Seascape, one of the world’s most important whale migration corridors.
The expedition provided capacity-building to Timor-Leste researchers who joined the Indonesia expedition as trainees.
In 2026, Konservasi Indonesia and Conservation International Timor-Leste researchers plan to conduct additional tagging in Indonesia and Timor-Leste during the northbound (June–July) and southbound (October–November) migrations. The aim is to expand movement data across the Ombai Strait, a high-traffic marine corridor where improved monitoring can help reduce risks such as whale–ship collisions. The findings will also contribute to community-based ecotourism development in Timor-Leste, Alor, and Wetar.
The 2025 expedition was carried out by Konservasi Indonesia in partnership with the Elasmobranch Institute Indonesia, Thrive Conservation, Universitas Tribuana Kalabahi, Universitas Muhammadiyah Kupang, BKKPN Kupang, and DKP NTT and the Centre for Whale Research Western Australia.
Herwata added, “For the first time, we are beginning to see the full picture of how pygmy blue whales move across national borders, from Indonesia through Timor-Leste and beyond. Protecting these whales means protecting their entire migration pathway. This research is crucial to define what areas must be protected. By combining innovative science with regional cooperation, we are laying the foundation for safer seas, healthier ecosystems, and a future where whale conservation is planned at the scale these animals actually live.”
Dr Michele Thums, Senior Research Scientist, Australian Institute of Marine Science said, “A big data gap for us in Australia is the migration routes and behaviour of the whales on their southern migration. This data is critical for conservation management of pygmy blue whales”.
Since the expedition, in December 2025, Indonesia created a new 325,238 hectare marine protected areaalong the whale migration pathway – the West Wetar Marine Protected Area.
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About Konservasi Indonesia: Konservasi Indonesia is a national foundation that aims to support the sustainable development and protection of critical ecosystems in Indonesia. We believe in the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships across sectors and jurisdictions. Working in partnership with the government and others, we design and deliver innovative nature-based solutions to climate change, using a sustainable landscapes-seascapes approach to create lasting impacts for people and nature. More information visit: Konservasi-id.org
About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Go to Conservation.org