Rare eagle ray spotted near Phi Phi
Scuba divers claim to have spotted an eagle ray hunting for food in the deep sea off Koh Phi Phi while an expert warned that the rare animal was dangerous and should be left alone.
The spotting of a big eagle ray at Malong Bay, near Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley, is rare for the area as they haven’t been seen for many years. A diver said it was as rare to see an eagle ray as it was to see a whale shark.
Tasaporn Krajangdara, the chief of the Fisheries Resources Condition Analysis and Survey Unit, Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre, said the eagle ray carried the scientific name Aetobatus ocellatus and was rare in Thai seas as people used to hunt for it in the past.
Tasaporn warned that its tail was poisonous and hence divers should stay away from it. When the eagle ray gets scared it floats to the water surface for a few seconds, he added.
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