Where are the Leopard Sharks?

[Buadhai]

The whole thing is too darn sad. Like mase, the OP, I've been diving the Andaman for a long time. It was once routine to spot Leopard Sharks in the Similans. I haven't seen a single one since I resumed diving a couple of years back.

 

[Poggus]

I miss leopard sharks =[

Your best chance this season (in my opinion, of course) is Hin Bida. Some of the Phi Phi dive centers might call it Phi Phi Shark Point. I see at least one most times I dive there. This year I've seen a few at Phuket Shark Point, one at Anenome Reef, and a few at Bida Nai. That's about it, though.

 

[watboy]

So sad... spent several months doing my DMT in 2009 and back then I always say at least one or two leopard sharks at the Bidas. Feb 2010 did a similan live aboard and saw them on only 1 dive, dec 2011 similan trip saw zero leopards.

I went to Raja Ampat in Dec 2011... and the place infinitly better managed than the Similans. I averaged seeing 2 sharks per dive on over 30 dives. Wobbegongs, black and white tips, walking sharks... but no leopards.

 

[stevenl]

Yes, at daytrips from Phi Phi and Phuket we very often see leopard sharks. This time of year normally not, too many divers so they tend to shy away, but when it gets quieter they tend to return.
So now I'm really hoping they will return ...

 

[Taliena]

Stevenl, what daytrip will you advise in april with the best chance to see leopard sharks? Of is the chance very small?

 

[stevenl]

Stevenl, what daytrip will you advise in april with the best chance to see leopard sharks? Of is the chance very small?

No idea yet, better ask a few days before your trip.

As mentioned, at the moment no leopard sharks, so I'm just hoping this is the seasonal 'shy away'.

 

[BigJeff]

Don't give up hope - this was sitting on the sand at Phi-Phi yesterday

Now I need to find a really small one for my macro lens!

 

[Quero]

I saw one the other day at Palong (Phi Phi).

 

[ben_wilson3301]

Maybe I miss understood. I thought you were refering to fins when you described chewy gristle-like stringy stuff floating in it.

 

[Quero]

No, you didn't misunderstand that part, ben_wilson3301. The chewy, stringy, gristly stuff is the fins, but they have no flavor by themselves, so the only way to make the soup taste like a seafood dish is to actually add seafood to it. The stock is generally chicken, the fins are the chewy bits, and the crab is the flavoring to make it taste like seafood.