Maya Bay on the Thai island of Phi Phi Leh was once known for record numbers of tourists. Now it is setting a new record for the number of blacktip reef sharks living there. This was reported by Thai PBS World.
During monitoring in November, marine biologists counted 451 sharks here.
The survey lasted seven days. The specialists carried out 15 drone flights, made 22 underwater video recordings and took the same number of water quality measurements. Most of the sharks longer than a metre were found near the beach and along the cliffs on the right-hand side of the bay.
Scientists suggest that the large gathering may be linked to breeding, but further research is needed to confirm this theory. In addition, three to five young sharks less than a metre long were found in the shallows.
Maya Bay was completely closed to tourists from 2018 to 2022 to allow the ecosystem to recover. The bay is now closed every year from 1 August to 30 September, and visitor numbers are limited to 375 people per one-hour session. Swimming is prohibited here. Tourist boats also do not enter the bay itself.
