The whales were seen between Ko Hei and Racha Island, according to a publication by ‘Monsoon Garbage Thailand’. The eco-group shared two videos of the whales, both captured from local small boats.
Environmental activists urged boat operators and leisure sailors to exercise extra caution when encountering marine wildlife. The group also encouraged people to take photos and videos of the whales for further sharing directly with related marine wildlife officials or through ’Monsoon Garbage Thailand.’
“If you encounter a whale, please take photos or make videos and send them to us. Let’s help each other,” the group stated.
’Monsoon Garbage Thailand’ tagged the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) in their most recent publication about Omura’s whales. The agency has yet to provide any additional details about the sightings.
The search for Omura’s whales off Phuket by a team of experts in January found several of these rare marine creatures in local waters but did not find the albino Omura’s whale that prompted the search.
Omura’s whales were spotted in the lower Phang Nga Bay area, at locations between Koh Maithon, Phi Phi Island, and the Racha Islands.
Assoc Prof Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, stated that the discovery of these whales was extremely good news because it represented the largest pod of Balaenoptera omurai ever spotted in Thailand.