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That was a great read. I, as well, grew up being scared of sharks, due to watching Jaws, as a kid. But when diving here in the Andaman sea and gulf of Thailand

That was a great read. I, as well, grew up being scared of sharks, due to watching Jaws, as a kid. But when diving here in the Andaman sea and gulf of Thailand it's such a fantastic experience to see shark. The black-tipped reef sharks I saw in the gulf of Thailand behave more like cats than the predators you see in movies like Jaws. If you are breathing to loudly they will scurry away. Interestingly enough, the shark nursery, where I went diving was less than a kilometer away from Maya bay, also known as "The Beach". Maya Bay is closed now, but used to attract millions of tourists each year, that were snorkeling there. Now the reef sharks have apparently returned to Maya bay. I think sharks are distinctly at the intersection of humans and nature on the one hand they are these fearful predators and on the other one they are beautifully efficient.

krono 5y ago
> behave more like cats than the predators you see in movies Just casually comparing the playfulness of two major predators from wildly different environments that we operate in without any meaningful restrictions. Us humans really are an oddball species! It's very commendable for the Thai government to have implemented such drastic measures, and it's good to see they're leading to positive results. Hopefully they manage to find a better balance between tourism and nature preservation this time.
- soonnow 5y ago
  I mean I was shocked when the closure of Maya bay was announced. As a country still lifting itself out of poverty, environmental concerns are often not the first priority of the Thai government. However, now that Maya bay is closed, the unintended side effect is that the boats now take the tourists to other locations. There is zero interest on the side of the tour operators to limit the tourists impact on the marine ecosystem. Instead of telling tourists to not touch corals, tour operators sell plastic shoes so the tourists don't cut their feet. I think a lot of education is needed on all sides, otherwise the masses of tourists will just move on to another place and destroy the ecosystem there. I mean often the Thai government has their heart in the right place, for example by placing large fines on tourists that destroy corals, but for every case that makes the news many more are unnoticed.
Nursie 5y ago
I've dived around the Phi Phi Island area some years ago, and was privileged enough to see zebra sharks[1] basking on a raised sandy bank, their tails undulating in the current. They are beautiful creatures. I've dived around all manner of reef sharks (black tip, lemon, wobbegong, white tip, nurse, various others) and they are all impressive creatures, but bigger sharks all give me a little shiver. Probably because of Jaws. I don't think I'd like to be in the water with a Tiger, Bull or Great White. [1] - Stegostoma fasciatum, the yellowy ones with the long tails, not Triakis semifasciata

krono 5y ago

> behave more like cats than the predators you see in movies Just casually comparing the playfulness of two major predators from wildly different environments that we operate in without any meaningful restrictions. Us humans really are an oddball species! It's very commendable for the Thai government to have implemented such drastic measures, and it's good to see they're leading to positive results. Hopefully they manage to find a better balance between tourism and nature preservation this time.

soonnow 5y ago
I mean I was shocked when the closure of Maya bay was announced. As a country still lifting itself out of poverty, environmental concerns are often not the first priority of the Thai government. However, now that Maya bay is closed, the unintended side effect is that the boats now take the tourists to other locations. There is zero interest on the side of the tour operators to limit the tourists impact on the marine ecosystem. Instead of telling tourists to not touch corals, tour operators sell plastic shoes so the tourists don't cut their feet. I think a lot of education is needed on all sides, otherwise the masses of tourists will just move on to another place and destroy the ecosystem there. I mean often the Thai government has their heart in the right place, for example by placing large fines on tourists that destroy corals, but for every case that makes the news many more are unnoticed.

Nursie 5y ago

I've dived around the Phi Phi Island area some years ago, and was privileged enough to see zebra sharks[1] basking on a raised sandy bank, their tails undulating in the current. They are beautiful creatures. I've dived around all manner of reef sharks (black tip, lemon, wobbegong, white tip, nurse, various others) and they are all impressive creatures, but bigger sharks all give me a little shiver. Probably because of Jaws. I don't think I'd like to be in the water with a Tiger, Bull or Great White. [1] - Stegostoma fasciatum, the yellowy ones with the long tails, not Triakis semifasciata