Tourism While Preserving Animals, Tourists Involved In The Release Of 34 Baby Bamboo Sharks In Phuket

JAKARTA - Staying at a hotel while participating in an animal conservation program while on vacation is certainly a good idea. Especially if this can be done in areas that have beautiful landscapes, such as Phuket, Thailand.

Hotel guests who stayed at the Anantara and Avani Hotels in Phuket recently took part in an annual wildlife release aimed at aiding conservation on Thailand's largest island.

As part of this effort, 34 baby bamboo sharks were released into the coastline around Anantara Layan, Anantara Mai Khao and Avani+ Mai Khao.

This annual release is part of a shark captive program led by the Phuket Center for Marine Biology. These bamboo sharks grow to a maximum length of one meter and are completely harmless to humans.

They are threatened by hunting and were only released into the Andaman Sea after spending nine months in marine nurseries. Apart from baby sharks, 54 light green turtles, aged between 12 and 15 months, were also released.

The release of the turtles is part of a Thai hotel group's efforts to help rejuvenate the reptile population in Phuket, reports The National News April 21.

The island and its surroundings are home to green turtles, leatherback turtles, hawksbill and sea turtles, all of which are listed as endangered.

Throughout November to February, turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs. Their numbers have been greatly reduced over the past 20 years. Local residents Mai Khao and Layan work hard to protect them.

The eggs are brought to the hatchery of the Phuket Marine Biology Center where the baby turtles are protected from natural elements and human exploitation. They stay here for a year before being released, to give their bodies and flippers time to grow in an effort to increase their chances of survival in the wild.

To date, more than 7,000 turtles have been released by the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, which was established by Minor Hotels, the parent company of Anantara and Avani, to protect marine creatures in and around Sirinat National Marine Park.

Tourists can visit the Mai Khao Sea Turtle Foundation year-round to learn more about conservation, with daily talks from local marine biologists.