the Mangrove Forest
Thailand has a number of protected mangrove areas along it's endless coastlines that host a variety of flora & fauna. This mangrove forest conservation area is located in Samut Songkram Province, about 70km from Bangkok. It's a lush area teeming with plant and animal life, and also home to some of the most bountiful seafood harvesting in the Land of Smiles.
People here live their lives on and around the water, which provides them not only with a steady diet of fresh seafood, but with a variety of sea-based options for earning a living. Some are fishermen & women, pulling in a variety of specimens including varieties of shrimp, oysters, fish, squid, mussels, crabs and even select species of stingrays. The forest also plays host to troops of monkeys, who are all too willing to showcase their swimming skills in order to snatch up some watermelon (or an entire bag from the boat, as in our case).
Local seafood harvesters have a unique method of collecting their catch from the sticky mangrove mud bed, which can prove challenging & messy to cross on foot. They slide around on the surface of the mud using smooth boards, similar to primitive surfboards. With some steady pushing with hands and feet, these fisherfolk are able to slide across the mud and gather fresh 'hoi' and 'puu' with ease.
The local fishermen in longtail boats also have a special way of 'persuading' fish into their nets. They drive round and round in circles with their nets open in the middle of the circle, stirring the fish up from the bottom of the mud bed and up into their nets. This can be best seen from above, where I was lucky enough to catch them via drone.
This was a relaxing way to spend the day, ending with a meal of some of the most delicious seafood that I've ever eaten.
Read MorePeople here live their lives on and around the water, which provides them not only with a steady diet of fresh seafood, but with a variety of sea-based options for earning a living. Some are fishermen & women, pulling in a variety of specimens including varieties of shrimp, oysters, fish, squid, mussels, crabs and even select species of stingrays. The forest also plays host to troops of monkeys, who are all too willing to showcase their swimming skills in order to snatch up some watermelon (or an entire bag from the boat, as in our case).
Local seafood harvesters have a unique method of collecting their catch from the sticky mangrove mud bed, which can prove challenging & messy to cross on foot. They slide around on the surface of the mud using smooth boards, similar to primitive surfboards. With some steady pushing with hands and feet, these fisherfolk are able to slide across the mud and gather fresh 'hoi' and 'puu' with ease.
The local fishermen in longtail boats also have a special way of 'persuading' fish into their nets. They drive round and round in circles with their nets open in the middle of the circle, stirring the fish up from the bottom of the mud bed and up into their nets. This can be best seen from above, where I was lucky enough to catch them via drone.
This was a relaxing way to spend the day, ending with a meal of some of the most delicious seafood that I've ever eaten.
