Rare whale shark spotted near Pattaya

PATTAYA:--A rare whale shark was captured on video in the waters off Pattaya.

Terawatt Thongchai, an 18-year-old crewman on a tourist boat based at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club said he was working June 6 on board a yacht taking a group of tourists to explore Koh Larn. They stopped between Tawaen Beach and Koh Sak for the tourists to fish and enjoy the scenery and received a rare and unexpected sight.

A large whale shark, approximately seven meters long, appeared before the tourists and came so close that they could see its entire body.

Tourists on board used mobile phones to capture the unusual visitor, taking both videos and photos. Showing no fear of humans, the giant shark swam around the yacht for approximately three minutes before disappearing back into the deep sea.

Terawatt said that this was the first time in his life he witnessed such a big shark, which is harmless to humans.

The last whale shark reported in the area was seen in December 2011 off Rayong.

- See more at: http://www.pattayamail.com/localnews/rare-whale-shark-spotted-near-pattaya-48109#sthash.lhq3vFiT.dpuf

-- Pattaya Mail 2015-06-19

Good to see they are not all exctinct by now. I was lucky to dive Thai waters a good 24 years ago - it was bliss back then, whith up to 5 whale sharks in just one dive... Numbers started to decline from 1996 onwards, after many of them were killed by fishermen in water outside of Thailand. After that, diving here never was the same. Numbers of sightings just recently started to increase - one of the very few good news these days...

Unfortunately while some people think it is great to show off their wealth by consuming a rather tasteless substance whale sharks will be an endangered species.

P.S. I have never tasted or intend to taste shark fin soup, but there are plenty of references on the internet saying it is tasteless.

Big and scary but harmless. Unlike the land sharks in Pattaya .

Actually the last sighting I know of was in Samaesan about 3 months ago.

My diving instructor mates got fotos and video.

My bad luck I was out of the country!

Still a very rare sight these days.

Be ware of the not so rare sharks operating out of real estate offices in Pattaya...they have a whale of a deal just for you...

Dear me, the shark won't last long in those waters........... be choking on a condom or something.

Dear me, the shark won't last long in those waters........... be choking on a condom or something.

Oh my, not everybody goes to Pattaya for the sex you know.

It will be next weeks fish and chips if hangs around pattaya

Dear me, the shark won't last long in those waters........... be choking on a condom or something.

Oh my, not everybody goes to Pattaya for the sex you know.

Yeah we know they visit the pristine beaches, numerous temples and enjoy banter with the happy go lucky, friendly locals....

Unfortunately while some people think it is great to show off their wealth by consuming a rather tasteless substance whale sharks will be an endangered species.

P.S. I have never tasted or intend to taste shark fin soup, but there are plenty of references on the internet saying it is tasteless.

Whale Shark isn't used in shark fin soup!

Luckily nowadays most Thais and also fishermen know that whale sharks and manta rays are tourist magnets, so they would leave them alone... Problem is it takes only one stupid, greedy idiot who is desperate for money to kill one of these beautiful creatures for finning. There is a beautiful video on youtube (see link) of the 2nd largest in the world aquarium in Kuroshio. Many activists are against this form of containing whale sharks, but if you ask me (and I am an avid diver and nature lover with 3k dives under my belt) I would say these whale sharks most likely have it better there, being fed and taken good care of, than out it the sea where they are hunted to be transformed into a dish that has absolutely no taste. These poor and harmless plancton feeders are referred to by Taiwanese as "Tofu Shark" since the meat has absolutely no taste just like tofu. So, as Tofu is out there and no animal needs to be harmed to consume it, then why kill the largest fish in the world, an endangered species, to eat its meat (which tastes like nothing anyway) instead? I can't get my head around it! Us humans are good at only one thing - destruction

By the time we all get to read this report, the poor creature will either be dead from ingesting too many plastic bags, or will have been " finned " and served to the Tourists.

Be ware of the not so rare sharks operating out of real estate offices in Pattaya...they have a whale of a deal just for you...

they are rather toads...

Unfortunately while some people think it is great to show off their wealth by consuming a rather tasteless substance whale sharks will be an endangered species.

P.S. I have never tasted or intend to taste shark fin soup, but there are plenty of references on the internet saying it is tasteless.

Whale Shark isn't used in shark fin soup!

I am sure it was quoted on a TV documentary, when asked about large fins in a shop the shop keeper said they were from Whale Sharks

Anyway, a quick Google and I came up with this from a very repetable source...

It's illegal—whale sharks are a protected species under Chinese and international law. But it's easy to understand why: A single carcass is worth about $30,000. The shark meat is sold for food, the fins are sold to restaurants for shark fin soup, the skin is sold to manufacturers for bags, and the oil is sold to companies that make fish oil supplements.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140129-whale-shark-endangered-cites-ocean-animals-conservation/

Dear me, the shark won't last long in those waters........... be choking on a condom or something.

Or get run over by a jet ski or speed boat.

Dear me, the shark won't last long in those waters........... be choking on a condom or something.

Oh my, not everybody goes to Pattaya for the sex you know.

I go for Ko Larn, Ko Phai & Ko Rin. Walking Street is nice every once in a blue moon.

The water off Pattaya is pure sewer stuff though. First time I went to Pattaya beach I saw a couple local teenagers try to use a plastic bag for a diving mask.

The wormy rat came up for air......with a plastic bag over his face. That didn't work out so well.