Asia Dive News : Local whale shark returns to Andaman dive sites

PHANG NGA: A popular whale shark nicknamed �Big Boy� has been spotted off Koh Surin, and around Richelieu Rock, Hin Daeng and Hin Muang, Pakdee Khruthanang of the Phuket Eco-Tourism Association told the Phuket Gazette today.

�Big Boy has been spotted off Koh Surin nearly daily since the beginning of last month,� she said.

�He is about eight meters long and weighs more than a ton. Whale sharks average about five meters in length, but can grow to as large as 12 meters,� K. Pakdee explained.

She recommended that tourists and divers alike take the opportunity to see this prime example of the world's largest fish. �Whale sharks live in oceans with water temperatures between 21ºC and 26ºC, and Big Boy migrates from Alaska every year to escape the cold temperatures there,� she said.

�Now is the best time of the year to see him. He is rarely spotted here after April,� she added.

K. Pakdee said that another, smaller whale shark has been spotted in the same areas. �It is five meters long and has been nicknamed �Son of Big Boy' by local divers,� she said.

Dive companies frequently complain that whale shark sightings have become increasingly rare due to the activities of fishing boats in the Andaman Sea.

Source: Phuket Gazette