PHUKET, THAILAND (OCT 16TH, 2025)

Three juvenile Indo-Pacific leopard sharks fitted with acoustic tags were released from Maiton Resort, located nine kilometers off the southeast of Phuket island on September 9th. This release marked a key milestone for the StAR Project Thailand (Stegostoma tigrinum Augmentation and Recovery). This first-of-its-kind rewilding effort aims to rebuild wild populations of the endangered species, helping to restore balance to marine ecosystems where these key predators play a vital role.

The three sharks - Maya, Similan, and Ginger, were bred by the aquarist team from Aquaria Phuket, (a private aquarium located in Phuket Province) and are now approximately one and a half years old, each measuring about one meter in length. Prior to release, the sharks were carefully conditioned by the StAR Project Thailand aquarist team to adapt to natural marine conditions and trained to forage independently in the sea pen on Maiton Island. Veterinarians thoroughly assessed the shark’s health before tagging and releasing. The sharks were tagged by veterinarians from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) and Ocean Park Hong Kong, both key partners of the project. The acoustic tags, each with a battery life of about five years, transmit a unique frequency that can be detected by an array of underwater acoustic receivers.

In collaboration with the DMCR, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), and the StAR Project Thailand team, 20 acoustic receivers were recently deployed across Phang Nga Bay, which lies between southern mainland Thailand in Phang Nga, Krabi, and Phuket Island. This area was identified through citizen science data as a hotspot for leopard shark sightings and is considered an important habitat for the species. The receiver network includes famous dive sites such as Hin Musang (Shark Point), Hin Bida, Bida Nai, Koh Phi Phi Leh, and Koh Racha Yai. Whenever a tagged shark swims within 500 meters of a receiver, the tag’s ID is automatically recorded in the receiver’s data log.

The StAR Project Thailand began last year with the continuation of “Spot the leopard shark – Thailand”, a citizen science project that invites the diving community to submit photos and videos of leopard shark sightings taken in Thai waters. The initiative was first launched in Thailand in 2013 at Koh Phi Phi Island,as a collaboration between Dr. Christine Dudgeon, University of Queensland, Australia, and Dr. Kongkiat Kitiwattanawong, Phuket Marine Biological Centre, DMCR. To date, the initiative collected over 1332 photos and identified 278 individual leopard sharks between 2004 - 2025 , which has helped scientists better understand population trends and shark habitats. 

The internal release event was attended by StAR Project partners, including Dr. Pinsak Suraswadi, Director General of DMCR, Dato Simon Foong, Group Executive Chairman of Aquawalk, Daryl Foong, Group Chief Executive Officer of Aquawalk , representatives from Maiton Resort, WildAid, ReShark, and members of the StAR Project Thailand team.

To support effective monitoring of the released sharks, the StAR Project Thailand urges the diving community to refrain from touching or moving the receiver devices if they come across them at dive sites. These devices are safe, non-hazardous, and essential for marine research. Divers are also encouraged to report any loose or damaged receivers and to continue submitting photos and videos of leopard shark sightings in Thai waters through the “Spot the Leopard Shark – Thailand” platform. These contributions play a vital role in helping scientists carry out long-term monitoring of the released sharks and population trends, particularly if the sighted individuals are among those reintroduced under the project.

A Population Viability Analysis (PVA) is currently underway to assess the probability of species extinction in Thailand and to inform a comprehensive conservation approach, including the number of leopard sharks needed for reintroduction and outlining post-release monitoring measures.

In the next few months, the team is preparing for another upcoming leopard shark release and will begin retrieving data from the deployed receivers, in close collaboration with government partners, to track the movements of the released sharks.

The StAR Project Thailand, originally initiated by ReShark, was officially launched in May this year through a multi-sector collaboration involving key Thai government agencies, the private sector, and non-profit organizations. The project’s partners include the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR), Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP), the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Aquaria Phuket, Maiton Resort, WildAid, Ocean Blue Tree and Thai Sharks and Rays.