Tour boats warned to steer clear of dolphins off Phuket

Kritsada Mueanhawong


Mr Suchat said boats should stay 500 meters away from dolphins and allow them to come closer. Photo: Kritsada Mueanhawong

PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket.

Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division Region 6, was joined by marine experts and officials as they looked into reports by tour groups boating around the island on Wednesday.

“A pod of 23 bottlenose dolphins was found swimming around Koh Mai Thon, about 500-800 meters out,” Mr Suchat said. “This is the largest group of dolphins we have ever seen.”

Mr Suchat said officials were concerned that sounds from the boats would disturb the mammals and that some tourist boats circled the pod too closely in order to get a better vantage.

Full story: http://www.phuketgazette.net/phuket-news/Tour-boats-warned-steer-clear-dolphins-off/63929?desktopversion

-- Phuket Gazette 2016-05-21

Pfff....And will they listen ???? that'll be the first time !!!!! ever....as long as there is no enforcement of the law Thais will do whatever they please !!!

Consider half of those dolphins as gone !!!!

Best regards.

Pfff....And will they listen ???? that'll be the first time !!!!! ever....as long as there is no enforcement of the law Thais will do whatever they please !!!

Consider half of those dolphins as gone !!!!

Best regards.

"Consider half of those dolphins as gone !!!!"

Seems unlikely as those dolphins have been there for a long time already.

Pfff....And will they listen ???? that'll be the first time !!!!! ever....as long as there is no enforcement of the law Thais will do whatever they please !!!

Consider half of those dolphins as gone !!!!

Best regards.

"Consider half of those dolphins as gone !!!!"

Seems unlikely as those dolphins have been there for a long time already.

I'm pretty sure the dolphins are sharp enough to stay away from the whirly bit at the back of the boats seeing as the enjoy riding the pressure wave at the front of the boats

<scene> Phuket, Thailand.

PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket.

...

(one minute later)

...

PHUKET: Touts across the island announce new pricing on recently spotted dolphin pod quite near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket but totes not actually near the recently spotted dolphin pod near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket and therefore totally unrelated.

</scene>

fin

<scene> Phuket, Thailand.

PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket.

...

(one minute later)

...

PHUKET: Touts across the island announce new pricing on recently spotted dolphin pod quite near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket but totes not actually near the recently spotted dolphin pod near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket and therefore totally unrelated.

</scene>

fin

?????