Swimmers warned not to touch whale sharks or face legal action

By Thai PBS

 

 

Swimmers are warned not to touch whale sharks while they are swimming in the sea off Chumphon province otherwise they may face jail term of up to four years and/or a maximum fine of 40,000 baht.

 

The warning was issued by Mr Jatuporn Buruspat, director-general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, after images were posted on the social media on April 22 showing a group of swimmers touch and play with a whale shark around Ko Lao Ped Lao Kai island off Tambon Pak Klong, Pathiu district of Chumphon.

 

Describing the sighting of whale sharks in the sea off Chumporn as a welcome news indicative of the ecological health of the sea, he, however, said that it was improper for swimmers to touch the mammals for two reasons – the whale sharks may be infected with human diseases and that the swimmers themselves may be hurt by the animals.

 

Full story: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/swimmers-warned-not-touch-whale-sharks-face-legal-action/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2018-04-26

18 minutes ago, webfact said:

he, however, said that it was improper for swimmers to touch the mammals for two reasons

And there was I thinking whale sharks were fish.

 

Oh, it seems they are "The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species."

 

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whale_shark

 

Beautiful creatures that need protection.