Will we see sharks? Anyone who has worked behind the counter in a dive shop will have been asked this question. Up until now, although 340 species of shark exist worldwide, really only three fish from this often maligned genera used to be spotted in the waters around Koh Tao.

Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus), grow to lengths over twelve metres and have been allegedly reported as large as twenty. Koh Tao plays host to these rare creatures typically between the months of March and October, however reported sightings around the island and Sail Rock also cover December, January and February; possibly proving that whale sharks use unreliable calendars, or more likely, that we still know very little about their migratory habits. The whale shark cruises the oceans feeding on krill, plankton & small fish and is harmless to divers and snorkellers, although my favourite report is that of a Japanese snorkeller who did once manage to get sucked into a Whale Shark's mouth but was quickly spat out again…..

Unfortunately, whilst most divers long to see these gentle giants and the lucky few who do will never forget their encounter, the whale shark is of interest in a very different way to fisherman. In the past couple of years, reports of Malaysian, Indian & Indonesian fishing fleets illegally slaughtering over a thousand specimens have helped explain a dramatic reduction in whale shark encounters. This year, sightings have been considerably lower both in the Gulf of Thailand and around the west coast. Ignorant restaurant-goers eating whale shark dishes for high social status, Chinese medicine which endows parts of the shark with mystic properties and even the use of the liver to waterproof boats combined with increasingly proficient high volume fishing methods are surely to blame. Whale shark fins end up in high-class restaurants in Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and China, despite the trade being illegal.

There is also concern over the effects that El Nino may have on whale sharks. El Nino is the slowing down of the normally strong trade winds blowing across the Pacific, with the result that the warmer waters of the west move east, raising tidal and ocean levels and temperatures. The usual colder water contains enormous amounts of nutrients such as plankton and tiny animals such as krill, but the warmer water causes the decline of this potential food. Further more, the warmer water may even change the migratory patterns of the whale sharks, we just don't know as it is only in recent years that scientists have started tagging and tracking the animals to learn more about them.

Another former Koh Tao resident the leopard shark (stegastoma fasciatum) has also been dwindling in numbers. I remember dives on the Southwest Pinnacles around 1996-1997 when a leopard shark sighting could almost be relied upon, sitting on the sand in 24 metres of water, often close to hand. Leopard sharks (sometimes called zebra sharks due to the dark stripes displayed on juveniles) spend their time resting on the bottom feeding on invertebrates, although their huge tail allows them to move through the water with surprising speed when required. These days, sightings are rare, a fact I found reflected on the western side of Thailand at Hin Daeng, where in previous visits I had seen no fewer than six together, last year I was not lucky enough to see any, and many dive operators agreed that numbers seemed to be in decline.

The news is not all bad. While whale shark populations are certainly at risk, other species of shark have been faring much better. For years, visitors to Koh Tao who are keen to mingle with sharks have been trekking over to a bay on the south east coast called Rocky Bay or Thian Ok, where they can snorkel late afternoon and enjoy the sight of Koh Tao's only other resident shark, the black-tip reef. (Carcharhinus melanopterus) or A small and harmless shark, usually between 1 - 1.5 m in length and with distinct black-tips on their dorsal & lower tail fins, these feed on fish such as parrotfish in very shallow water and often hunt in groups. Black-tips are renowned for being shy and are therefore rarely seen by divers, although they are attracted by splashing and have been known to come up to a snorkeller's fins to investigate. These days, the animals are so numerous, 'shark safaris' offer guaranteed sightings and some snorkelers have reported seeing groups of ten or twelve swimming together, much greater numbers than in previous years. This has even led to the bay being renamed shark point.

The last two years have seen new and surprising underwater visitors to our popular dive destination in the shape of grey reef sharks, white-tip reef sharks and the more fearsome bull shark, all of which are now regularly sighted around the legendry Chumphon Pinnacles. Divers seeking to get away from the crowds around the main pinnacle have swum out into the blue water in the hope of seeing schooling pelagics, only to be surprised by the much larger shape of an elegant grey reef shark (carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) darting past. This shark, which grows to as big as 2.5m, is not considered dangerous, but has been known to become aggressive when feeling threatened, which may explain the following story.