Back in play, 30 dolphins greet visitors to Similan Islands
Thai and foreign tourists got to revel in the sight of a school of dolphins they encountered among the Similan Islands off the Phang Nga coast on Sunday (October 20).
Tour organiser Love Andaman reported that 30 dolphins created a lot of excitement for its passengers as some swam close to the boat six or seven nautical miles offshore.
The agency said it was the first time that dolphins had been seen in the vicinity since October 15.
Similan Islands National Park director Ruamsin Manajongprasert said they were bottlenose dolphins hunting for food and were among several species now returning to the area following a five-year closure of the park so the environment could rehabilitate. Food is again plentiful there for them, he said.
Tourists are forbidden to feed any kinds of wildlife lest the free handouts alter the animals’ natural behaviour.
The park’s waters are also highly sensitive to contamination from human disease and marine debris, Ruamsin said.
