False killer whales spotted off Phang Nga

Around 20 false killer whales have been spotted near an island in Phang Nga province. The manager of Wow Andaman Tour has reported that a tour group spotted them off Koh Miang Island in the Mu Koh Similan National Park off the Phang Ngan coast in the Andaman Sea.

“These whales broke through the water and greeted the tourists travelling on a boat, while some of them jumped and played around the boat. This was a very lucky sighting since it was during the Christmas holidays. We expect they will swim around the Similan Islands for many days and greet tourists during the New Year festival.”

Meanwhile, according to a report in The Nation, the director of Phuket Marine Biological Centre confirmed that they were false killer whales, a “large oceanic dolphin” which, despite their resemblance, are not related to the killer whale. They confirmed that the species is one of Thailand’s rare aquatic mammals.

“For the safety of rare aquatic animals, boat drivers should slow down or stop until they swim away, and not chase them, while tourists should not feed them.”

SOURCE: The Nation