Thailand’s tourism recovery puts 4 marine species back on extinction watchlist

Bryde's whales, dugongs and two dolphin species had been disappearing from Thai seas before Covid travel bans gave breathing space for their habitats to recover.

However, extinction fears have rekindled now that international tourists are flowing back in huge numbers to Thailand’s coastal and island destinations.

The Thai government is belatedly promoting sustainable tourism after alarming signs of environmental destruction from decades of unregulated boom. But corruption, short-term profit and lax law enforcement continue to erode natural habitats, to feed an industry generating around 20% of Thailand’s GDP.

Adding to pressure on marine habitats and wildlife are violations and overfishing in the fisheries sector, another big earner for Thailand.

The Nation takes a closer look at four species of endangered marine mammals that act as early indicators of whether Thailand’s push for sustainability will be a success or failure.

Bryde's whale

The population of Bryde's whales in Thai waters is estimated at around 60 – all of which have been given names by marine biologists.

Bryde's whales were added to Thailand’s list of protected species in 2019.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists them as a near-threatened globally. Sightings of the large creatures, which feed on fish, plankton and squid, are an indication of the richness of local marine resources.

In Thailand, Bryde's whales are spotted off Phang Nga, Phuket, Surat Thani and Chumphon.

A pair of Bryde's whales treated tourists to a show in the Andaman Sea off Phang Na province on March 29.

The two sea giants were spotted frolicking in the Similan Islands national park.

Bryde's whales are identifiable by the three ridges on their forehead.

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.

 

On February 3, three Bryde's whales were seen frolicking in the marine national park off Surat Thani province, but park officials were only able to identify two of them by name. They identified "Wandee" and "Wanrung" in the database of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources.

Before the pandemic, one or two Bryde's whales were seen in the marine park each year, but after tourism was suspended in 2020, the number increased.

"Four Bryde's whales – Wandee, Wanyud, Im-aim, and Prempree – were seen in the national park from February to March 2021," said Mu Ko Ang Thong National Park chief, Satit Tantikritya.

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.

"It is interesting to keep track of how many Bryde's whales show up and how long they stay at the national park," Satit said.

Dugongs

Thailand’s population of dugongs is estimated at just 300, though numbers are thought to have increased during the pandemic.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) lists dugongs as threatened with worldwide extinction. They are categorised as an Appendix I species, to which the highest level of CITES protection is afforded.

In Thailand, dugongs are confined mainly to seagrass meadows in Trang and Krabi on the Andaman coast. Dugongs, along with other sirenians, are referred to as "sea cows" because their diet consists mainly of seagrass. Efforts are being made to protect the sea meadows from destructive fishing and tourism activities.

In 2020, up to 80% of dugongs found dead in Thai waters were killed by fishing tools, nets and boat propellers, according to a government report.

On February 3 this year, a baby dugong named Dong Tan was found dead in Sattahip Bay off Chonburi after being spotted piggybacking on the back of a giant green sea turtle. The male infant died about two months after another female dugong, thought to be its mother, washed ashore in December.

"The baby dugong was left alone in Sattahip Bay after its mother died," said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, one of Thailand’s top marine biologists.

Human activity likely led to the death of Dong Tan, said Thon, deputy dean of Kasetsart University’s Fisheries Faculty.

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.

Irrawaddy and pink humpbacked dolphins

Even closer to extinction in Thailand – and globally – are Irrawaddy dolphins, fewer than 20 of which are thought to be left in Thai waters.

Pink humpbacked dolphins are also threatened after their Thai population shrank to around 150.

The IUCN categorises Irrawaddy dolphins as endangered species, and humpbacked dolphins as vulnerable species. Both species have been included in CITES Appendix I.

Thailand’s freshwater Irrawaddy dolphins live in Songkhla Lake, where Thon estimates there are fewer than 20 left. Humpbacked dolphins, including pink ones, are found in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani.

"Southern Thailand is a special area as it has plentiful marine resources and connects with two oceans – the Pacific [Gulf of Thailand] and Indian [Andaman Sea]," said Thon, explaining the unique habitats of the endangered species.

Songkhla Lake’s connection with the Gulf of Thailand makes it a rare brackish-water ecosystem, he added.

Thailand is among only five places around the world where Irrawaddy dolphins exist, according to Thon.

He said Thai conservation methods for these marine mammals are similar, and encompass fisheries and tourism. But Thai people must do more to protect their seas and endangered mammals, which are precious national resources, he added.

Only 16 Irrawaddy dolphins are left in Songkhla Lake, and these are now threatened by construction of a bridge to link Songkhla and neighbouring Phatthalung province, Thon said.

The 4.48-billion-baht bridge is aimed to boost travel, tourism and locals’ quality of life, but experts including Thon are worried it could damage the environment and lead to extinction of Thailand’s Irrawaddy dolphin population.