Environment

The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus or "rasp tooth" after their over 300 rows of small rasplike teeth) is the largest fish species living today. One was caught in the Gulf of Thailand in 1925 with an estimated length of 18 meters.

In recent times, these creatures have been measured at a documented length of twelve meters and they still remain somewhat of a mystery as they are so elusive. Up until 1986, there were only 320 reported sightings, world-wide. Nowadays, numerous liveaboards operators on Phuket offer  whale shark tours with a high probability to actually see those great fish in their natural habitat.

Whale Sharks are easy to identify by the pale dash and dot pattern on their dark upper surfaces and sides and their nearly white undersides.  This dual-shaded pattern is part of natures way of camouflaging the animal so it cannot be identified easily from above or below, as it tends to blend into the natural surrounding environment.

Even though they have a great number of teeth, these are not used for feeding. Whale Sharks feed on planktonic animals, shrimp and small fish by filtering them through their huge mouth much like the Blue Whale or the Manta Ray. This necessitates their typical action of gliding slowly forward through warm, plankton-rich tropical waters, where there is an abundance of this food source. Unlike in most other areas of the world, in Thai waters the Whale Sharks tends to swim in a horizontal plane. They open their mouths to form a perfect "O", thereby enabling to filter the largest volume of water possible.

Like other filter feeders, whale sharks must scoop up many thousands of liters of water a day and then filter it through their giant set of gill slits, just to get enough plankton to maintain their body weight. Until today, nobody knows how many years it takes for a baby shark, born alive with a length of 60 centimeters, to become an adult, full-grown specimen. It is currently believed that sexual maturity is achieved in about 20 to 30 years and that life spans reach one hundred years or more.

Reef Preservation

Phuket, a main destination for tourists traveling to Southeast Asia, attracts more than two million visitors each year. This volume of tourist arrivals, together with the busy deep-sea port in Phuket Town and the presence of a major international airport have had a significant influence on the natural environment.

In global terms, pollution has become a major problem over the past two decades with conditions deteriorating globally. The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) points out that spreading of algal blooms (red tides,