BANGKOK — A pair of Bryde’s whales were recently spotted off the coast of Thailand, delighting conservation officials.
The large marine mammals — which are infrequently observed in Thai waters — were seen on April 19 in the Mu Ko Chumphon National Park, according to a news release from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
The park comprises a group of islands in the Gulf of Thailand, located about 300 miles south of Bangkok.
The first whale was glimpsed by members of a park patrol unit around 10:30 a.m. They noticed it swimming, playing and foraging for food.
Only an hour later, another patrol unit spotted a different Bryde’s whale swimming near Ko Mattra, a small island a few miles from the mainland.
Video footage shows one whale — with its distinctive dorsal fin — breaching the surface. The other whale can be seen filter feeding while birds flutter around nearby. The twin sightings are a positive sign, indicating the health of the park’s marine ecosystem, the release said.
Several other sightings of the species have been made in Thai waters in recent months, according to previous reporting by McClatchy News.
Bryde’s whales — pronounced “broodus” — are a member of the baleen family, which also includes gray whales and pygmy right whales, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They’re named after Johan Bryde, an early 20th-century Norwegian whaler.
They are found throughout warm stretches of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans, with some populations migrating short distances between seasons.
The massive creatures — which can weigh 90,000 pounds and measure 55 feet — have sleek, dark bodies and slender, pointed flippers.
Little is known about their population status, and they are considered vulnerable to ocean noise, ship strikes and whaling in some areas, according to NOAA.
Around 100 Bryde’s whales have been documented in the Gulf of Thailand, according to the Bangkok Post.
The Thai government lists the species as protected, according to The Guardian — and they are also protected throughout their range by the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
By MIAMI HERALD
Google Translate was used to translate a news release from the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
