Uproar over Phuket underwater animal abuse


Screen grab from the offending video.

PHUKET: -- Sea-walking, which has not hit the headlines for a couple of years, this week resurfaced, causing an uproar in social media for all the wrong reasons.

In sea-walking, participants get to walk around on the seabed wearing helmets to which air is pumped from the surface.

Sea-walking companies in the past were accused of adding to coral destruction by conducting the activity on top of coral reefs and even, in one case, digging up coral so that guests would have a nice flat surface to walk along underwater.

This time the furore came after a video appeared in the Facebook group of Bangkok-based Giftbox Travel showing several tourists handling starfish, sea cucumbers and clams and even playing a game of catch with a type of sea star.

Paksakorn “Chai” Aspawiriya, Managing Director of Bangkok-based Giftbox Travel, told The Phuket News, “We are a travel agency arranging tour packages conducted by local companies [in Phuket and elsewhere].”

He explained that Giftbox carries out frequent random checks on the tour companies it uses. On one of these trips, to a Phuket sea-walking company – which he declined to name – his staff took the video.

The games with the animals, in the water next to Koh Hae, also known as Coral Island, began when a tour guide for the unnamed company picked up a starfish and handed it to one of the clients.

“We thought the behavior shown in the video was not good for marine animals. So we posted it on our Facebook page to show that we do not support this kind of behavior, which might hurt the animals.”

The video was uploaded on Friday (April 24) and over the weekend attracted more than 80,000 views and hundreds of negative comments.

“It’s not nice. We don’t support this kind of trip,” said Mr Chai.

“I’ve heard that the company no longer allows this sort of thing and has fired the guide involved. I hope this kind of issue will be sorted out.”

He added that the video posted was raw footage, which has now been taken down. However, the company plans to edit it, adding more information, and repost it as cautionary advice to tourists.

“When we went there we did not know they were going to do this. The tour company gave us brief instructions about keeping the helmet on and hanging onto the hand rail below water. The trip, they said, was just an underwater walk.”

The Director of Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Centre (MCRCC), Thanet Mannoi told The Phuket News, “I talked with three [sea-walking] companies, and one of them admitted that the video was taken a while ago and that a staff member had been fired. But I think that misses the point.

“We will have a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall in May. We have to find where they were doing this.

“I have two questions I want to discuss with provincial officials. First, is sea-walking actually legal? Second, if it is legal, is it allowed in marine conservation areas?”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/uproar-over-phuket-underwater-animal-abuse-52048.php

-- Phuket News 2015-04-28

Sigh.....at least the elephant sea walking did not reappear.

"80,000 views and hundreds of negative comments"

Not enough negative comments in my opinion. I understand that tourism to these destinations is a significant part of the Thai economy... But the ecology in these areas (which is unique in the world) has to be respected well before any profit margin gained from tourism.

Surely from the pic in the article this is not someone wearing a "helmet to which air is supplied from the surface"?

Looks more like SSBA (hookah) delivery. Either way the handling of sea life isn't acceptable if it occurs in the way described in the article

This is the underwater version of the slow loris and lizard tourist photos, and they have been going on for years.

I went with a dive master for a dive in the Caymans once. Prior to the dive he strongly reminded me that touching any sea life in the marine park (basically all the waters surrounding Grand Cayman) was forbidden by law and violators subject to fines. I thought no problem, I can support that. Ten minutes into the dive the same guy is pulling on my fin and I turn to see him holding a huge lobster and making a motion as if he intends to snap the tail off. You meet some real A-holes in the course of a lifetime but he's in my top 10.

As if the newly invented "Green - Mr Chai" gives a single toss about any marine life.

It's the money....and absolutely nothing else that he worries about.

On another note....is this not over dramatised?

So...a couple of sea creatures (hardly endangered) got handled and passed around. Any real, damaging harm done to these creatures? Do they even know they have been handled?

Sea walking near, or especially on, coral is a total disaster and needs to be banned immediately.

there are so many issues that need to be addressed this is one of them bad companies create problems they need to be told about the sea environment as well as the land,

Is this really news? I mean who really cares? Sea Walking? Haven't you heard of Dolphin Wan@ing?

This is nothing compared to the terrible "abuse" of Freddie the Dolphin"

Poor old Freddie was tossed off by some freaky guy up off of the N.E coast of UK a few years back, poor old Freddie never had a chance!

"80,000 views and hundreds of negative comments"

Not enough negative comments in my opinion. I understand that tourism to these destinations is a significant part of the Thai economy... But the ecology in these areas (which is unique in the world) has to be respected well before any profit margin gained from tourism.

But the ecology in these areas (which is unique in the world) has to be respected well before any profit margin gained from tourism.

You either don´t live here or havn´t been here long?

OLD THAI SAYING : ¨If it moves eat it, if it doesn´t move then eat it later¨

They don´t respect their own people what hope does the ecology have?

I wonder about the mentality of tourists who abuse the wildlife. I wonder about tourist promoters that do not understand sustain.

im wondering if the company involved had TOT liscense ??

but i doubt it

tourism authority supposed to check whom they issue licences to

There are so many problems in Thailand...the mistreatment of immigrants in the fishing and agricultural industries...police corruption...road carnage...mistreatment of young Thai women...corruption in the business and tourist industries...and so on...

Although marine tourism may have some problems...they are minor in comparison to the major problems facing Thailand everyday...which have yet to be resolved...and have no end in sight...

Let's focus on the problems which are overwhelmingly negative for Thai society and tourism first...

The diver in that pic is really a dumbass. Why...well he's holding a

banded seasnake. Seasnakes have venom that is more toxic than

a cobra's venom. Unlike venomous land snakes who may not

envenomate during a bite, seasnakes envenomate every bite.

The pic doesn't portray ocean tourism in a good and safe manner

IMO. Then again...TiT & it's their problem...not mine.

The diver in that pic is really a dumbass. Why...well he's holding a

banded seasnake. Seasnakes have venom that is more toxic than

a cobra's venom. Unlike venomous land snakes who may not

envenomate during a bite, seasnakes envenomate every bite.

The pic doesn't portray ocean tourism in a good and safe manner

IMO. Then again...TiT & it's their problem...not mine.

It's not a banded sea snake on the OP photo - it's a sea cucumber with a snake alike appearance which is totally harmless. A banded sea snake looks like the attached photo. However - Sea Walking the world don't need! If anyone wants to enjoy the underwater world, he/she should make the effort of learning how to properly skin or scuba dive, because then he/she will also learn everything that's needed to understand how to behave responsible under water and how to protect the marine environment.

^^^ CW...thanks for that info. Sure looked like a banded seasnake to me when

I enlarged the crappy photo. I agree with what you said in the reply concerning

conservation....and learning to dive. Cheers...

In Thailand there are more human snakes above the water than there are sea snakes below. No need for me to tell you that.

Is this really news? I mean who really cares? Sea Walking? Haven't you heard of Dolphin Wan@ing?

This is nothing compared to the terrible "abuse" of Freddie the Dolphin"

Poor old Freddie was tossed off by some freaky guy up off of the N.E coast of UK a few years back, poor old Freddie never had a chance!

Freddie

The guide has been moved to an inactive post in the office with full pay....same <deleted> different day....Nexxxxxt

It's all okay, stop worrying guys. There are no parasols on the beaches of Phuket so all is good with the eco system.....

Hypocrites forced slavery human beings torture by RTP no real justice system and they make a noise about this.

come on, Thailand will give you a negative if you have a spot on your face, they are to ultra dramatic, not to mention now they will be waiting in a boat to sell you roses now

It's a good thing the Jackass film makers didn't join their tour.

Would you expect anything different?

This is a place where monks rear tigers for their body parts.

Too late, do you think these companies really give a shit! No

Thanks Catwezal, I thought the idiot was playing with a Sea snake!