Conservationists released four Indo-Pacific leopard sharks off Koh Maiton on Monday, December 8, in Thailand’s first endangered shark rewilding project.
The release took place near Maiton Resort, around nine kilometres from Cape Panwa, and aquarists at Aquaria Phuket bred the sharks, named Maiton, Hope, Spot, and Toty, who are all nearly two years old. Each shark, measuring between 100 and 140 centimetres, was attached with a tag for long-term tracking.
A brief ceremony saw project members pour flower-adorned seawater into the ocean to symbolically send the sharks off.
This brings the total number of sharks released in 2025 to seven, and conservationists released three others, Maya, Similan, and Ginger, in September. Data shows they were tracked up to 50 days post-release and seen near Koh Dok Mai, Koh Khai Nok, and Shark Point.
The StAR Project (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery) unites government, private, and conservation groups. Partners include the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Department of National Parks (DNP), Department of Fisheries, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree, Thai Sharks and Rays, Aquaria Phuket, and Maiton Resort.
Before the release, aquarists housed the sharks in a sea pen at Koh Maiton to help them adapt to tides and currents. Veterinarians from DMCR and Ocean Park Hong Kong conducted health checks and implanted the tags, which can transmit data for up to five years via 20 receivers across Phuket, Phang Nga, and Krabi.
DMCR chief Pinsak Suraswadi stressed the importance of leopard sharks to coral reef ecosystems. The IUCN estimates just 57 to 172 remain in the Andaman Sea. This is far below its potential capacity of 1,000.
WildAid project manager Metavee Chuangcharoendee said science-based releases can reduce extinction risk. Aquaria Phuket CEO Daryl Foong said they were proud to be the first in Thailand to breed and release the species.
DNP’s Saysudchai Chunchaowarit said marine parks like Mu Ko Similan and Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi play a vital role in their protection. The Fisheries Department noted the programme supports Thailand’s National Plan of Action for Sharks.
Divers and tour operators are encouraged to submit sightings via the citizen-science platform Spot the Leopard Shark – Thailand. Authorities urge visitors to avoid disturbing the tracking equipment.
In related news, researchers spotted a jaw-dropping 158 blacktip reef sharks cruising the shallows in one fin-tastic return to form. During this time in between July 2 and 8, it was said that this was recorded as the highest number of blacktip reef sharks ever seen in a single sighting in the area.
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