Gawking tourists give Bryde's whales the hump

Flood of boat tours in Gulf scare giant mammals away
Bangkok Post 26 Sep 10;

An influx of whale watchers to the upper Gulf of Thailand could scare the marine animals away from the ecologically fragile area, experts say.

Fishermen and villagers in the coastal provinces along the upper part of the gulf, including Samut Sakhon, Samut Prakan, Samut Songkhram, and Phetchaburi, are familiar with the sight of Bryde's whales and Irrawaddy dolphins in the area.

However, since videos and pictures of the mammals swimming in the upper gulf off Phetchaburi coast appeared in the media last week, the number of whale watchers has drastically increased.

Conservation groups have started to worry about the impact of whale-watching activities on marine animals and have asked boat operators to proceed with caution. They say too many boats could disturb the whales' habitat.

"An increase in tourists might affect the Bryde's whales, especially mother whales and their offspring," said Vorapol Dounglomjan, leader of the Upper Gulf Conservation Network.

He said whale-watching guidelines are needed to prevent the activity harming marine life.

His group has proposed limiting whale and dolphin watchers to three or four locations to minimise the risk of disturbing the animals.

Boat operators would not be allowed to take tourists to other areas.

The group also proposed designating a 10.45 square kilometre area in the upper gulf as a conservation area which is off-limits to tourism activities.

The area covers mud flats and parts of the sea where marine animals go to feed. Migratory birds can also be found there.

''We need to provide some quiet zones for marine animals, especially whales and the dolphins, or we might not see them again,'' said Mr Vorapol.

Bad tourism management can lead to a decline in marine life.

In Chachoengsao province, the number of Irrawaddy dolphins has dropped after a boom in tourism.

Bancha Wadwaree, a seafood restaurant owner of Ban Klong Mai who provides a free boat service for Irrawaddy dolphin and Bryde's whale watchers, said the number of tourists booking boat trips had jumped sharply in recent weeks.

He played down the impact of whale-watching activities on marine life.

''We have a regulation that boat operators must not get too close to the whales.

''We will try our best to protect them since locals regard them as auspicious animals that will bring us luck,'' said Mr Bancha.

However, he agreed that strict regulations were needed if more boat service operators were to start work in the upper gulf as their activities could pose a threat to the ecological system.

Veera Plairaksa, vice-chairman of the Samut Sakhon-based Pantai Norasing Fishery Network, said fishermen and tourism operators in the upper gulf may announce closure of part of the gulf to allow the marine environment to recover.

''We don't want Thai waters to turn into a dead sea. We want to maintain fertility in the sea for succeeding generations of whale admirers,'' said Mr Veera.

Sombat Poovachiranon, chief of the Samut Sakhon-based marine and coastal resources research centre in the upper gulf, said marine biologists had been collecting data about the Bryde's whales and Irrawaddy dolphins to learn more about their habitats and feeding grounds.

About 100 Irrawaddy dolphins and 20 Bryde's whales live along the upper gulf.

''Sea water quality is a key to their survival. Our study found that Bryde's whales have moved away from the coast as sea water quality has deteriorated,'' he said. The whale-watching boom could also affect the animals, the official said.

He said tourist boats should stay at least 100 metres away from the whales. Boat engines must be turned off when boats draw close to the whales as engine noise could disturb the animals.