Bryde's whale spotted near Koh Lanta

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Bryde's whale spotted near Koh Lanta
Eakkapop Thongtub


The sighting of a Brydes's whale is very rare in the Andaman Sea.

Phuket: -- A Bryde̕s whale believed to be nine metres long was spotted in the sea near Koh Lanta on Monday (March 9) bringing huge excitement to tourists in the area. However, tourism officials are concerned for its safety.

A picture of the Bryde̕s whale swimming near the Koh Ha archipelago in Krabi on Monday afternoon was taken by diving instructor, Sanae Yamae, 40.

Sanae said that he believed the whale must have been nine metres long, and this is the second whale of this size he has seen in the Andaman sea.

“We hardly ever see animals this big in Andaman sea and tourists were in awe of the sight,” said Sanae.

Yesterday (March 11) Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre Supervisor, Tassapon Krajangdara, said that the whale was a Bryde's whale which are usually found in the Gulf of Thailand. They have never received a report of anyone ever seeing one in the Andaman region before.

He said that it is possible that the whale got seperated from its pod and came to the Andmana region because of the abundance of food in the area.

Meanwhile, Director of the Koh Lanta Tourism Association, Theerapoj Kasirawat, commented that the whale was spotted close to the coal transportation route to the new power plant in Nuea Klong district.

This area is being studied for environmental issues as it is also the habitat area for whale sharks and bull sharks.

He said that the coal transportation route will affect tourist areas nearby such as Koh Lanta, Koh Phi Phi and Koh Sriborya and they want all departments involved in the project to seriously consider marine life and the environment.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/bryde%CC%95s-whale-spotted-near-koh-lanta-51376.php


-- Phuket News 2015-03-13