Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE), ordered the search after several sightings of Omura whales were reported in the area (see stories here and here), the DMCR reported through a Facebook post today (Jan 10).
DMCR Director-General Dr Pinsak Suraswadi appointed Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a specialist in research on marine and coastal ecosystems, and Wissanu Chaengjai, Director of Marine and Coastal Resources Office Region 10 office (Krabi), to lead the fieldwork, the DMCR noted.
The team, comprising officials from various marine research centres, used three survey methods to collect comprehensive data on the Omura whales. In addition to using their own boat and a drone to conduct the search, the officers also stopped and asked local fishing boats in the area for any reported sightings.
The DMCR themselves covered the area from lower Phang Nga Bay to the upper region of Racha Yai Islands, spanning approximately 200 square kilometres.
The drone was used to survey from the area south of Laem Promthep, to the northern part of Racha Yai Island to Koh Hei, just a few kilometres southeast of Phuket.
The results of the three-day operation revealed significant findings, the DMCR reported.
In total, the DMCR search team reported finding four to six Omura whales in the lower Phang Nga Bay area, at locations between Koh Maithon, Phi Phi Island and the Racha Islands, with tourist boats contributing two additional sightings.
The first sighting occurred on the west side of Phi Phi Island, where officials from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) encountered a whale breathing and moving swiftly along the current around noon.
The second sighting, reported by the DMCR, involved a nine-metre-long Omura whale on the eastern side of Koh Maiton. The officials followed the whale for 30 minutes, observing its normal swimming and feeding behaviour.
In the third sighting, a team discovered four Omura whales behind Koh Hei, engaging in various activities near boats. Officials collected water samples to study using eDNA techniques and Photo ID data to classify and compare their identities, aiming to provide insights into the population.
Strong winds and frequent waves in the morning posed challenges to the operation, while the afternoon provided a relatively smooth sea with a slight breeze, the DMCR reported.
The mission concluded at 4pm yesterday as the team shifted focus to provide assistance to a boat carrying tourists sinking off Koh Hei.
Despite the successful sightings of normal-coloured Omura whales, none of the three instances revealed the presence of the elusive white Omura whale, the DMCR noted.
However, Assoc Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, said on Tuesday (Jan 9) that the discovery of four Omura’s whales was good news because they were the largest pod ever spotted in Thailand, reported the Bangkok Post.