What a fantastic start to this much awaited diving season on Thailand's Andaman Sea! A Tiger shark has been sighted by several divers in Similan National park this week.
A tiger shark in Thailand's waters!
"We dropped usual place in Elephant Head Rock, Similan: southern side of the main rock, before the channel and the tiger shark came up from the deeper water to check us out. It came very close and there was no doubting it. "
Unfortunately this time the divers didn't have a camera to capture the moment but what a thrill!!!
​Tiger sharks are very rarely sighted by divers as they usually prefer to live in deeper/ colder waters.
Another tigershark has been spotted and photographed by snorkelers in Surin islands in December 2019 but such sightings are so exceptional they are making the news!
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Is there hope for Thailand's Sharks population?
Sharks have been slaughtered for decades for the meat and fins and shark population has decreased dramatically: some sharks number have seen a 90 percent cut in the last 50 years!
Finning, a practice where fishermen cut the shark's fins before discarding the rest of the body in the Ocean is now illegal in 52 countries but only 12 countries have banned shark fishing altogether. Unfortunately the practice is still legal in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. A recent study done by WildAid and Rapid Asia in Thailand, found that 57 percent of Thais living in urban areas have consumed shark fin at some point. |
In recent year more and more campaigns have raised awareness about this cause and eating shark fin soup is loosing popularity.
In China, 85 percent of respondents to a recent survey reported they had stopped eating shark fin soup. |
Want to know more about these wonderful creatures? Check out our blog answering all the questions you may have about Tiger sharks.
And if you want to try your luck, come dive with us to Surin and Similan islands!
We still go room on these 3 trips in December 2020 with a 20% Discount!