When Myanmar was hit by a strong earthquake on March 28, its neighboring country Thailand was also affected, not only on land but also in the marine ecosystem. A research team in Thailand captured a rare scene of fish collectively seeking refuge when the earthquake struck. This was the first time researchers in the country documented such evacuation behavior.
Assistant Professor Thon Thamrongnawasawat from the Fisheries Department of Kasetsart University in Thailand recently shared this discovery on Facebook. His research team observed fish gathering on the seabed during the earthquake in the Mu Ko Similan National Park, a marine protected area in western Thailand.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand pointed out that the Mu Ko Similan National Park is located in Khura Buri, Phang Nga Province. It covers an area of 32,000 acres and was established as a national park in 1982.
Thon shared several photos on Facebook showing fish congregating near the seabed. These fish were initially swimming actively in the water. However, when the earthquake occurred, they suddenly stopped moving and stayed close to the sea floor. This behavior is highly unusual as fish are typically very active during the day.
Thon described it as the fish “lying down”, similar to how humans lie down when taking cover. If they were floating in the water, there would be a risk of being carried away by water currents or waves.
Thon mentioned that earthquakes generate various types of shockwaves. Some waves are light but fast-moving, which fish may sense, while humans may not.
Thon also noted that his volunteer friends using drones to monitor dugongs discovered that these highly sensitive animals were frightened during the earthquake. They escaped from shallow water areas and swam to deeper waters following the principle of avoiding tsunamis. Therefore, when tsunamis occurred, there were no reports of dugongs being washed ashore by the waves.
Thon emphasized that this is the first time in Thailand that such fish behavior has been clearly documented. These findings provide valuable scientific evidence for the potential development of animal-based early warning systems for natural disasters.