Massive shadow approaching boat in Thailand turns out to be rare sea creature
While fishing off the coast of Thailand, a group of fishermen noticed a massive underwater shadow approaching their boat. It turned out to be a rare sighting of an at-risk sea creature.
Several anglers visited Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park on the afternoon of Oct. 13 to go fishing around the park’s marine conservation area known as Shark Ridge, Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said in an Oct. 14 Facebook post.
While out on the boat, the fishermen spotted a shadowy sea creature off one end of the boat and recognized it as a whale shark, officials said.
A video shows the whale shark approaching the boat. Its characteristic gray coloring and white speckling is visible as it swims along one side of the vessel and then passes underneath. The boat’s occupants can be heard cheering and yelling excitedly as they move around to watch the whale shark.
As their name implies, whale sharks are a shark species known for their giant size and are the world’s largest fish, reaching over 30 feet in length, according to Thai National Parks. They have hundreds of teeth but are “slow-moving, filter-feeding” sharks that pose no threat to humans.
Globally, whale sharks are considered endangered and threatened by overfishing, marine pollution and collisions, park officials said in the Facebook post. In Thailand, whale shark sightings are considered rare.
Officials identified the whale shark seen at Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park as a young male measuring about 13 feet long. Witnesses described the shark as looking healthy, moving agilely and visibly feeding.
Park officials said the whale shark sighting was a positive sign for marine conservation efforts in the area. They also urged anyone who encounters rare marine animals to keep a safe distance and not interfere with the animals’ natural behavior.
Khao Laem Ya-Mu Ko Samet National Park is on the southern coast of Thailand and a roughly 125-mile drive southeast from Bangkok.
Google Translate was used to translate the Facebook post from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
