PADI Whale Shark Awareness Specialty Course - Age 10+, 1 day, 2 dives - 8,900 THB
Get scuba diving certified as a PADI Whale Shark Aware Diver with Scubafish Dive Centre Ko Lanta Thailand

The PADI Whale Shark Aware Diver Course introduces you to the
world’s largest fish. Learn the proper techniques for diving with Whale Sharks
so that you have minimal impact on the sharks’ habitat and behaviour.

The purpose of the PADI Whale Shark Awareness Diver Specialty Course is to introduce divers and snorkelers to the world’s largest fish and familiarise divers with the proper techniques for recreational diving whilst encountering Whale Sharks with minimal impact on the sharks’ habitat and behaviour.

The PADI Whale Shark Awareness Course aims to teach you about the biology, behavior and global distribution of Whale Sharks as well as conservation status and Whale Shark research worldwide.

There is mounting evidence to suggest that the population of the world’s largest fish – the Whale Shark – is dwindling in numbers and that it may be being seriously overfished.

Killed partly for it’s meat and skin, it is mainly slaughtered for its fins which are used to make shark fin soup – a highly prized and expensive delicacy in many Far Eastern countries.

In order to obtain global protection for the Whale Shark and to be able to monitor its numbers, more information is needed about the number and range of the current population. It is important to establish if the Whale Shark is consists of a single, interbreeding population or numerous, reproductively isolated populations.

What will I Learn during the PADI Whale Shark Awareness Specialty Diver Course?

Divers will learn how to plan all aspects of a dive with Whale Sharks, paying special attention to non-impact diving practices. The importance of Whale Shark monitoring activities will be stressed and the Whale Shark Photo ID website introduced as an example of how to get involved in Whale Shark conservation. Researchers will attempt to match any photos submitted to other snaps of the same shark in the International Whale Shark database, perhaps telling us something new about the behaviour of the Whale Shark.

The Goals of the PADI Whale Shark Awareness Course are:

Who can participate in the PADI Whale Shark Awareness Course?

If you’re aged 10+ and have already completed the PADI Open Water Diver course (or equivalent), in general good health and fitness, and are not suffering from a cold or ear infection, you should be eligible to become a certified PADI Whale Shark Aware Diver.

Please check the health requirements for this course.

How often do you run PADI Whale Shark Awareness Courses?

Courses start every day, at a time to suit you. You can book now, or come in to see see us while you’re on holiday in Ko Lanta. We offer free transfers to and from your resort in Ko Lanta for any of our dive courses or daily dive trips.

What languages do you teach in?

We run PADI Whale Shark Awareness Courses in English, German, Swedish and French. We run semi-supported courses in Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Thai. Please let us know if you require course materials in another language and we will order them for you.

How much does it cost?

The PADI Whale Shark Awareness Course costs 8,900 THB. At Scubafish, all our scuba certification courses include manuals and free scuba diving equipment rental.

There may be a fuel surcharge to visit some of the further away dive sites if you choose to dive these sites during your course.

In addition, we teach all of our diver level courses in small groups to ensure that you receive the attention that you deserve. All our courses are taught to PADI Standards and prices include PADI certification fees.
On the dive boats, we supply breakfast, lunch, drinking water, soft drinks and fruit. We also provide a selection of fruit juices and towels on each trip.

How many people are in each group?

We keep group sizes small to ensure you receive maximum benefit from your tuition (maximum 4 students per Instructor). This also minimises negative impact on the reefs. Our emphasis is on safety, fun and personal service within a relaxed and stress-free environment.

We keep group sizes to a minimum to ensure your
underwater experiences are rewarding, safe and fun.

What can I do next?

The PADI Whale Shark Awareness Specialty Course certification is only the beginning!

A whole new world of adventure is waiting for you.

You can use this course to complement any of our other
PADI Speciality Courses:

The PADI Whale Shark Awareness Specialty Diver Course counts as one of five Specialty course certifications required for the PADI Master Scuba Diver certification.

Your next step would be to become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, PADI Master Scuba Diver or PADI Divemaster.

LIQUID LENSE – our Underwater Digital Imaging Academy offers longer Underwater Photography and Videography courses, aimed at people who want to take Underwater Digital Imaging a step further.

Or you can just keep diving Ko Lanta…! Scubafish is ideally located in the South of Ko Lanta to offer shorter journey times on daily dive trips to some of the best dive sites in Thailand.

Dive the famous dive sites of Hin Daeng & Hin Muang, or visit Ko Haa, Ko Rok, Ko Phi Phi, the King Cruiser Wreck, Shark Point or Anemone Reef.

Please contact us if you would like any further information.