However, extinction fears have rekindled now that international tourists are flowing back in huge numbers to Thailand’s coastal and island destinations.
The Marine and Coastal Resources Research Centre has tracked dozens of individuals since 2008, identifying each by its distinctive dorsal fin, head and body marks. He said six Bryde’s whales were spotted in the national park from January to February last year. Park staff were able to identify five – Prempree, Sakhu, Mesa, Sodsai and Sandee – but the sixth was not in the database.
In 2020, up to 80 per cent of dugongs found dead in Thai waters were killed by fishing tools, nets and boat propellers, according to a government report. The 2019 death of another dugong, named Mariam, which was found with a bellyful of marine trash, triggered the “1+11 Dugong Project” to create 12 dugong conservation zones modelled after Koh Libong in Trang province, where Mariam was cared for.Even closer to extinction in Thailand – and globally – are Irrawaddy dolphins, fewer than 20 of which are thought to be left in Thai waters.The IUCN categorises Irrawaddy dolphins as endangered species, and humpbacked dolphins as vulnerable species.