Injured whale shark swims up to boat for help in southern Thailand

National park officials in Krabi province, southern Thailand, are searching for an injured whale shark in need of urgent medical assistance.

Yesterday, a six-metre long whale shark swam to the surface to visit a longtail boat near Koh Hong island located inside Than Bok Khorani National Park in Krabi’s Mueang district.

As cold-blooded whale sharks rarely venture out of deep water, tourists were overjoyed by the shark’s unlikely visit.

However, as the shark swam underneath the boat, the longtail boat driver noticed that a large piece of rope – which looked like trawling net – was tightly wrapped around the whale shark’s tail.

The rope cut deep into the shark’s flesh, leaving a deep wound, said the boat driver. After around 10 minutes, the injured whale shark swam away.

The longtail boat driver says he believes the whale shark swam up to the boat because it needs urgent…