Are there sharks in Hua Hin ?!
- off course there is, but..
No fatal shark attack in Thailand for almost 20 years, and never in Hua Hin !
April 2015 Tigersharks occured at Hat Sai Noi beach. Photo: pixabay.com
Have no fear of sharks in the Hua Hin sea !
No doubt ! Most likely it is not that funny to get bitten by a shark, but that is something you really do not have to care about while on vacation i Hua Hin..
Shark attacks are very rare in Thailand. Since 1580 there has only been recorded three fatal incidents of shark attacks in the whole country of Thailand, and to put that into contrast, more than 20.000 people dies on the roads of Thailand every year, because of traffic related accidents.
Has there been shark attacks in Hua Hin ?
Well yes there has ! In April 2018 a Norwegian male tourist was bitten in his foot by a shark, while swimming in the waters of Hat Sai Noi beach. A beach which is located approximately 15 km south of Hua Hin City.
What is to believed as as a one year old Bullshark had probably mistakenly confused his foot as being a fish, then bitten him and swam away immediately. The Norwegian guy was rushed to the hospital where he was treated and his foot was then sewn with nineteen stitches..
This has been the ONLY recorded “shark-attack” in Hua Hin ever !
After that incident local authorities had put up warning signs and floating safety net to protect swimmers both from sharks but also dangerous box jellyfish..
Get the proportions in place..
In our opinion, you really should not fear the possibility of a shark attack in Hua Hin !
Since 1580 there has only been 3 recorded incidents of fatal sharks in the whole country of Thailand and every year hundred of thousands (if not billions) of people swim in the oceans of Thailand. You would have a better chance of winning 1 billion dollars in a lottery or being struck by a lightning, than getting bitten from a shark while on holiday in Hua Hin..
Shark attacks in Thailand history !
* August 1979. Vietnamese boat-fugitives attacked by Thai pirates. Fatal shark attacks of people thrown over board. Southern Thailand.
* January 2000. Fatal shark attack of a diving tourist. Phang Nga Island.
* August 2001. Non-fatal accident when person fell of banana boat. Lame Mae Pim Beach.
* September 2015. Unprovoked non-fatal shark attack of wading tourist at Phuket Karon Beach.
* April 2018. Unprowoked non-fatal shark attack in Hua Hin. Hat Sai Noi Beach.
Top 10 Shark species in thai waters !
Fortunately most species of sharks in Thailand are not dangerous and are very seldom to be seen close to the shores.
Here is a list of the shark species in thai waters, their temper and preferred habitat:
1. Blacktip Reef Shark - Lives nearly everywhere in Thailand, but prefers coral reefs. Can bite in defense.
2. Whitetip Reef Shark - Similan Islands, not dangerous.
3. Whale Shark - A giant creature to be spotted all over Thailand but most often around Similan Islands. No threat to humans.
4. Gray Reef Shark - Very rare in Thailand but to be spotted near Similan Islands. They are quite shy but are known to attack divers if feeling threatened.
5. Tiger Shark - Very rare in Thailand but are likely to be seen around Surin Islands and prefer deeper and cooler waters. They do not bite often, but the Tiger Shark is the one responsible for most of the fatal shark attacks in the world.
6. Bamboo Shark - Lives all over Thailand, also in Hua Hin but sights are very rare. Pose no threat to humans.
7. Leopard Shark - Extremely shy and is of no threat to humans. Most likely to be spotted around Phuket and nearby islands.
8. Nurse Shark - Prefers to live around coral reefs but sightings of this shark is very rare. Can be aggressive and shark attacks from the Nurse Shark is the fourth most common in Thailand.
9. Hammer Head Shark - Lives all over Thailand and has been spotted around Hua Hin but it is very rare that they approaches the coastline of Hua Hin. How ever local fishermen has reported captures of the Tiger Shark on deeper waters.
10. Bull shark - Last but not least we finish the list with the species that most like was the one responsible for the 2018 attack at Sai Noi Beach in Hua Hin where a Norwegian male was bitten in his foot (not fatal). Are quite rare in Thailand but are once in a while to be seen at fore example Koh Tao Island. The Bull Shark is quite aggressive so one should take their precautions if this shark is spotted.
11. White Shark - The most dangerous shark in the World does not live in Thailand :-)
Good travel tips are welcome ! Tip HuaHinFan.com
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