A drone operated by officials from Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park captured images of a longtail tourist boat running within a protected zone, nearly colliding with a mother and calf dugong.
On 21 Dec 2025, a clip was released from a drone operated by officials of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi, surveying the living conditions of a dugong group inhabiting the park area on the morning of 20 Dec. The footage shows a longtail tourist boat running inside a conservation buoy zone in Ao Thung, Ao Nang Subdistrict, Mueang Krabi District. Alarmingly, beneath the boat as it passes, a mother and calf dugong are swimming right where the boat travels, narrowly avoiding what could have been a tragic incident. Previously, dugong deaths have occurred due to propeller injuries several times.
Mr. Siriwat Saengchawi, head of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, revealed that the two dugongs are a mother and calf pair discovered during a survey two weeks ago. They feed in seagrass beds around Ao Thung and Ao Nam Mao. Both are in good health, with the mother rated 3 out of 5 in body condition and the calf also in good physical shape.
The images captured by the drone are truly distressing. The location is within a buoyed zone installed by the park. The park requests all boats to maintain a speed of about 3 knots while passing through the buoyed area and to exercise utmost caution.
Initially, I have ordered officials to coordinate with the local boat club to summon the boat involved for questioning about whether it exceeded the speed limit and if the operators saw the dugongs swimming nearby. We will engage with all boat operators to seek their cooperation in vigilance and may require them to install protective covers on propellers to prevent harm to rare marine animals. Currently, five dugongs have been surveyed living in the area under our responsibility, including the mother and calf pair.