A delightful surprise awaited a tour boat yesterday as passengers were treated to a rare show by a pair of Bryde’s whales in the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga province. According to Lertsak Ponklin, the president of Phang Nga Tourism Business Association, the two massive creatures were spotted frolicking in the area of the Similan Islands national park.
The tourists, who were aboard a Wow Andaman boat, had just left the island of Koh Kao that morning when the whales surfaced near the boat.
Watch the video from Wow Andaman HERE.
The excited tourists quickly grabbed their phones and cameras to capture the unforgettable moment. The whales obliged by sticking around on the surface for about 10 minutes, providing ample time for the tourists to snap photos of the rare sighting. The whales then dove back into the deep blue sea, and the boat continued its journey to the nearby Surin Islands.
Bryde’s whales are easily identifiable by the three ridges on their forehead. The species are listed as protected in Thailand since 2019. The whales feed on fish, plankton and squid.
“Spotting them is a clear indication of the abundance of marine resources in the local waters.”
Bryde’s whales are not uncommon in the waters around Thailand. Just last month, three of these magnificent creatures were spotted in the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park off the coast of Surat Thani province in the Gulf of Thailand.
SOURCE: Nation Thailand
