Whale Shark scuba diving holiday, Thailand

country:	Thailand
location:	Southern Thailand
price:	From £459 - £527 (7 days) excluding flights

Thailand holidays

Whale shark holidays

Scuba diving holidays

description

This scientific and conservation programme was designed in cooperation with Ecocean to search, locate, and record Whale Shark activity in Thailand’s Andaman Sea. Participants will stay at our beach resort on Koh Phra Thong, the closest land mass to the Surin Island’s National Park and Richelieu Rock (known habitat of Rhincodon typus). Using technology adapted from NASA’s star mapping software, underwater photographs taken by the participants are entered into the database for tracking and identification.

All dives are under supervision of Khao Lak’s Wicked Diving, exemplified for their record of safety & environmentally friendly ethos.

Our beach resort is the first resort outside Australia to give visitors the opportunity to participate in what will be a global tracking programme, comprising resorts, institutions and individuals all over the world. Participants will have the unique opportunity to explore whale sharks while experiencing the adventure and hospitality of Thailand by staying at a world class tropical island resort.

Our beach resort is a remote eco-resort set in lush tropical forest on the verge of a spectacular 10 kilometre undeveloped beach. Enjoy breath taking sea front views and abundant wildlife in one of the last unspoiled coastal areas in Thailand. The resort aims to provide a first class scuba diving experience while preserving the natural environment.

Find out more details on our beach resort here

the project

All participants should be a minimum of PADI open water qualified or equivalent.

Participants should feel confident in their diving skills. The dive sites occasionally experience strong currents and are located in a remote part of Thailand.

All diving and photography equipment can be hired from the operator and beach resort.

Itineraries might change depending on sea and weather conditions.

The programme includes accommodation for six nights at our beach resort. The best available accommodation will be provided based on two people sharing. Guaranteed beach front and/or single room supplements are available on request. All meals are provided. Boat transfer to and from Kuraburi pier (1.5 hour boat ride) to the resort and, six dives (including equipment, air, dive master supervision and transfers).

Six percent of the package price is donated to Ecocean to assist in their research. The cost excludes flights and the cost of transport to Kuraburi pier. Private car transport to Kuraburi or travel by seaplane can be arranged on request.

itinerary

Day 1:	Arrival at the beach resort. Welcome drinks at the bar. Introduction and outline the itinerary to the guests. Whale shark DVD screening and demonstration of the spot recognition techniques and photography that have been developed by Ecocean. Q&A and camera equipment familiarisation.
Day 2:	Dive at Richelieu Rock / Surin / Tachai. Whale shark photograph submission slide show of participants photograph.
Day 3-4:	Dive at Richelieu Rock / Surin.
Day 5:	Rest day at the resort. Review of everyone’s underwater photographs. Guests receive a CD-ROM of their underwater photographs. Brief for snorkel trip the following day.
Day 6:	Andaman Sea Islands. Two hour long-tail boat snorkel trip to Koh Ra - Koh Phra Thong channel mouth and surrounding sea grass verges to hunt for both whale sharks and dugongs in areas where they have been commonly spotted in the past by local fisherman. (Note: this will be timed to coincide with a falling tide when the water is likely to be nutrient rich). Time allowing, take the long-tail boat back to Tapayoi, have lunch or a drink at the local restaurant and speak to local fisherman about whale shark sightings in the past.
Day 7:	Depart (extra nights/dives available on request)

a taste of volunteering trip - what's it all about?

This type of trip is ideal for people who are unable to take very long periods off work but who are interested in volunteering to work with communities in need, or in wildlife conservation. These shorter trips combine volunteering with an opportunity to see the main sights in destinations. Find out more about 'taste of volunteering'

how this holiday makes a difference

The programme: This programme has gained international recognition and has been such a success because it inspires people from all walks of life to participate. Local fisherman, scuba divers, and resort guests have all enthusiastically got involved to help in this conservation effort. In February 2007, we were honoured to host accomplished marine biologist Brad Norman from Ecocean. Brad introduced his whale shark identification and tracking program at our resort. Brad has recently won the prestigious Rolex Award for Enterprise, in recognition of his innovation in marine biology. Guests who participate in this programme further the information, awareness, and conservation of the whale shark.

The dive operator: Wicked is a no-impact dive operator. Any trash generated is brought back to the mainland for recycling and/or disposal. All of our participants undergo a briefing and orientation (research shows that proper site orientation and briefings reduce impact on the reefs.) Wicked emphasizes buoyancy and awareness of the impact on the reef as essential elements in the daily diving practices. Lastly, anchor is never dropped during our Whale Shark Programme. Instead mooring buoys or free-entries are always used.

The accommodation: We currently employ around 20 people, half from local villages and half from the mainland. Staff are paid a fair local wage and receive training in customer service skills. We use local resources to support much of our operation. e.g. village boats for guests transfers; local drivers and their vehicles for safaris and guest transfers on the mainland. We also buy local produce (fish) on the island and purchase furniture locally. We have commissioned work from local artisans.

The resort is set in natural forest. There is a policy to maintain all natural tree cover where practical and we have initiated a tree growing program over the last 12 months to replace trees lost as a result of the Tsunami. We have sponsored a turtle conservation project for over 10 years on the island. Light pollution during the nesting season is restricted by the resort. Electricity is provided by a diesel generator, and is only available to guests between 6pm and 11pm. No hot water or air conditioning is available at the resort. Where possible waste is composted. In the interests of water conservation, sheets are only cleaned every three days and we limit towels to one a guest. We limit printing and re-use paper where we can.

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