Thailand - Rare giant ray spotted in Phang Nga

A rare giant manta some five metres wide has been spotted near Ta Chai Island in Similan Islands National Park, Phang Nga province, according to Somporn Kaewmaneechote, a diving instructor with Sea Turtle Diver Co Ltd.

 

Somporn said the ray was spotted on the morning of Sunday (November 10) while he was taking a group of divers to explore the underwater scenery near Ta Chai Island at a depth of 26 meters. “When we were coming back up to the depth of 18 metres, we saw a giant manta ray about four or five metres wide passing in front of us, giving us an opportunity to snap a photo of it.”

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“We rarely see manta rays of this size around here, and I’m so glad to have seen one,” he added.

Ruamsin Manajongprasert, Head of Similan Islands National Park, revealed that Ta Chai Island had been closed to tourists since 2016 to rehabilitate the ecosystem after the high volume of tourist boats had damaged the coral reef around the island. “The reef has now begun to heal itself,” he said. “Also, local citizens have been cleaning the beach, which helps reduce the deaths of sea animals caused by eating marine debris.”

Ta Chai Island was reopened earlier this year, and there have been report of rare sea animal sightings including dolphins, whale sharks, shark rays and manta rays.

Source - The Nation

#Thailand - Hua Hin beach under watch after shark attack admitted

Authorities were on Wednesday keeping a close watch on popular Hua Hin Beach in Prachuap Khiri Khan after it was confirmed that a Norwegian tourist was attacked by a shark there on Sunday.

Officials had initially tried to pass off the man’s severe leg injury as being a gash from sharp rocks, but Jatuporn Buruphat, deputy director general of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department, acknowledged at a press conference at Bangkok Hua Hin Hospital on Wednesday morning that the wound was caused by a shark, most likely a bull shark.

The story changed after the abbot of Wat Tham Khao Tao released video showing four sharks swimming off the beach near his temple. The abbot warned that if no action was taken, someone could be killed.

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 Jatuporn said a marine veterinarian had visited the hospital to inspect the tourist’s injury along with Dr Thassapol Krachangmala, a shark expert from his department.

The hospital’s deputy director, Dr Pongsak Boonleephan, told them the wound was caused by a toothed marine creature. Photos indicated the animal was a shark, most likely a bull shark.
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Prachuap Khiri Khan’s deputy governor promptly dispatched officials to watch over the beach and erect signs warning people not to swim out further than 20 metres.

Officials also spoke to the abbot who recorded the video of lurking sharks.

Jatuporn said camera drones operated from an Army base in Hua Hin spotted two sharks, each 1.5 metres long, swimming near the same beach.

Source - TheNation