The great variety of ocean resources is growing ever more abundant in the Gulf of Thailand as human activities normally exploiting the sealife, were paused during the COVID-19 outbreak. On Sunday, at Koh Tao in Surat Thani province, scuba divers came across a 3 to 4-meter long whale shark, swimming around the Hinbai diving spot. The impressive whale shark is the second such shark found near Koh Tao, Surat Thani province recently.
The footage was captured by a scuba diving coach near Koh Tao. The diver found this whale shark 18 meters down in the gulf, swimming with a school of Black kingfish. The whale shark, possibly 4 meters long, was called DOT as it had many spots on its body.
Hinbai or Sail Rock diving spot is one of the most popular diving locations in the Gulf of Thailand. It is a large pile of rocks that reaches 15 meters above sea level, at a spot where Gulf waters are 9 – 30 meters deep. The diving spot regularly attracts rare sea creatures such as the whale shark and giant grouper.
Another time, a group of divers also found a whale shark near Green Rock diving spot, that is also located near Koh Tao. It was 4 – 6 meters long and was found at a depth of 16 meters.
Both discoveries of whale sharks reflect the abundance of natural resources near Koh Tao; the Whale Shark is also 1 of 4 protected sea creatures, as it is believed to be nearly extinct, making such sightings a cause for celebration among divers. (NNT)
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