Trip Report Thailand - Phinisi Live Aboard

[Jake 10]

@Blues Runner , beautiful picture

 

[Blues Runner]

It does not mention on the itinerary.
Did you see any black tip on the southern route? Very common in Koh Bida.

Dive Sites Koh Lanta

Dive sites Koh Lanta in the Andaman Sea. Trips to Koh Haa, Hin Daeng/Hin Meuang, Koh Bida and Koh Rok operated by Lanta Diver Koh Lanta.

lantadiver.com

Only a couple. Very small.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Have you done any other SE Asia diving and if so, how did it compare?

 

[CWK]

Did you see any sharks at all? If so, what types and in what numbers? Thanks

 

[Blues Runner]

Have you done any other SE Asia diving and if so, how did it compare?

First time in Thailand. I have dove the north (Raja). My favorite dive places remain Raja and Socorro. Thailand is currently third!

 

[JonnieB]

Have you done any other SE Asia diving and if so, how did it compare?

Diving is better in Indonesia and Philippines but topside options, connections, and food are better in Thailand. For pure diving go south but for good diving with easy connections and topside activities Thailand is hard to beat.

 

[JonnieB]

Did you see any sharks at all? If so, what types and in what numbers? Thanks

Sharks aren't too common in Thai waters (they've turned most of them into soup for Chinese tourists) but I did see a HUGE Guitar Shark at Ko Tachai (Similans) recently (3m) and 3 Leopard Sharks at Shark Point in Phuket on a recent dive. Black Tip Reef Sharks are often see at Phi Phi Islands.

 

[CWK]

Sharks aren't too common in Thai waters (they've turned most of them into soup for Chinese tourists) but I did see a HUGE Guitar Shark at Ko Tachai (Similans) recently (3m) and 3 Leopard Sharks at Shark Point in Phuket on a recent dive. Black Tip Reef Sharks are often see at Phi Phi Islands.

View attachment 778448

I dived Similan in December 1988/January 1989 and obtained my AOW there on 1st Jan 89. My recollection is that there were very few pelagics there. Since the Similan National Park was created in 1982, there should have been no fishing there since that date. I was wondering if shark numbers had increased due to the creation of the Similan National Park, but it does not appear to have done so according to your report.

The other thing to note is that I dived Similan at the beginning of 1989 when there were no outbound tourists from mainland China. China's outbound tourism began in 1990, when China signed bilateral tourism agreements with Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Therefore I seriously doubt that the low shark numbers in that part of Thailand has anything to do with soup for Chinese tourists.

 

[Centrals]

.....Therefore I seriously doubt that the low shark numbers in that part of Thailand has anything to do with soup for Chinese tourists.

Of course NOT.
Shark fin is for EXPORT to the highest bidder.
Most of the so called local shark fin soup served to the tourist is nothing but fake. Group tourists do not have deep pocket and majority of them are CHEAP charlie.
No difference to "bird's nest soup".

 

[CWK]

Of course NOT.
Shark fin is for EXPORT to the highest bidder.
Most of the so called local shark fin soup served to the tourist is nothing but fake. Group tourists do not have deep pocket and majority of them are CHEAP charlie.
No difference to "bird's nest soup".

More than half of Thais have eaten shark fin and plan to consume it again in the future.
Source: Thailand eating too much shark fin

According to the WWF, 'While shark fins are generally much more expensive than shark meat and the global fin trade has received far more attention to date, the global trade in shark and ray meat is actually larger than the trade in fins, both in volume and value [2]. It is dominated by Spain (exporting shark meat to 85 different countries and territories), and the most important trade bridges for the shark meat network are between Japan and Spain, UK and Spain, Portugal and Spain, Japan and Panama, and China and Japan.'
Source: EU accounts for 22% of global trade in shark meat