Blacktip reef sharks spotted
THE CHIEF of Koh Hong National Park at Than Bok Khorani National Park has revealed that more than 10 blacktip reef sharks have recently been spotted hunting for small shellfish by several tourists at Koh Hong in Krabi.
The sharks were about two metres long and the biggest is believed to weigh about 100 kilograms.
They were grey and had black fins.
After spotting them near the national park office, the officers took a boat to see them in the water and found that they didn’t seem to be frightened by humans at all. They were swimming in only about a metre of water and took about half an hour to hunt for food before swimming back to the deep water close to a coral reef nearby.
The Chief of Bok Khorani National Park, Weeasak Srisajjang, said that the blacktip reef sharks were quite often spotted near Koh Hong.
This was already the fourth time this year, he said, and they typically live near the deep water in the coral reef around the island.
“This is a sign showing that Hong Island has a lush ecology,” said Weeasak. “We have strictly controlled the tourists so the ecosystem is not destroyed and have prohibited any illegal fisheries that damage coral.
“The blacktip reef sharks show little signs of ever attacking a human. They usually just eat small fish and are commonly found in the Andaman area.
“They usually hunt at night or early morning and hide among the coral reefs during the day. Apart from the blacktip reef sharks, we also spotted whale sharks at Hong Island, which is rare.
“I would like to ask tourists and fishermen not to harm these fish if you find them.
“They are not dangerous and eat only small fish and plankton.”