Fishsiam Ltd Thailand is proud to announce an exciting series of Megafish research expeditions for the coming year in search of Giant stingrays in association with emerging National Geographic explorer Dr.Zeb Hogan and expert veterinary scientists from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Conservation minded anglers will be given the unique opportunity to fish alongside Dr.Zeb Hogan during field trips to various locations in search of Giant freshwater stingray.
The Megafish Thailand Giant Stingray package will see client's stingray fishing on both the Maeklong and Ban Pakong Rivers in search of Giant Stingrays. Megafishes project Director Dr.Zeb Hogan will be working alongside Associate Professor Dr.Nantaika Chansue with her expert team of aquatic veterinary scientists from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok in an attempt to mount the world's first comprehensive study of the awesome Himantura Chaophraya/Giant freshwater stingray.
The forthcoming Giant Stingray research expeditions which have official approval from the Department of Fisheries in Thailand will see conservation minded anglers fishing at various locations throughout Thailand in search of the mythical Giant freshwater stingray.
With our expert team of Thai fishing guides clients will be pushed to their absoloute physical limits in pursuit of what has been described as possibly the largest freshwater fish in the world whilst also contributing to science.
Dr.Zeb Hogan and the Chulalongkorn University scientific team will personally examine all Giant freshwater stingrays caught by visiting anglers.
All fish caught whilst fishing on the Megafish expeditions will undergo a variety of scientific examinations performed by scientists whilst onsite in the field.
The expert team of veterinary scientists from Chulalongkorn University under the direction of Dr.Nantaika Chansue will be
assisted by Dr.Zeb Hogan whilst performing Ultrasound, DNA, Tissue and Toxicology tests in addition to acoustically tagging all Giant Freshwater Stingray in order to track these mighty prehistoric creatures throughout the massive tidal river systems that they inhabit.
Early exploratory expeditions have yielded impressive results with one hundred and thirty eight Giant Freshwater stingray captures culminating in the capture of a record breaking Giant Freshwater Stingray estimated to weigh 265kg-350kg's.
The Fishsiam team working alongside Chulalongkorn University and Dr.Zeb Hogan has successfully acoustically tagged and released eighteen individual Giant freshwater stingrays. Scientists are currently monitoring the movements of this most highly enigmatic of freshwater monster fish with state of the art receivers which have been deployed at strategic points on the rivers.Information gained from this groundbreaking research project will be crucial in gaining a further understanding of this most elusive of River Monsters whilst giving a valuable insight into population densities of Giant Freshwater Stingrays in Thailand.
The objective of this exciting research project is to acoustically tag 40-50 fish in both the Maeklong and Ban Pakong Rivers in Thailand with a view as to possibly expanding the project to other rivers throughout Thailand in the coming years.
Blood and tissue samples collected whilst in the field will be compared with samples taken from various specimens from different rivers for genetic analysis.
In addition Toxicology samples collected in the field will be used by the Chulalongkorn research team in the future construction of a vaccine to combat the effect of the poisonous mucus located on the barb of Giant freshwater stingrays.
With the research of Giant freshwater stingray still in its infancy anglers becoming involved in these research expeditions will be contributing to the further research and conservation of this ancient and prehistoric Living Fossil.
Clients choosing to fish on the Megafish Thailand weekly package will be fishing on the same record breaking stretches of river as seen on National Geographic channels Hooked Monster fish of Thailand, Hooked Monster Fishing Giant Stingray and Hooked Monsters of the Deep.
This unique opportunity to combine science with the capture of what is possibly the largest freshwater fish in the world and to fish alongside the world leading fish biologist Dr.Zeb Hogan is subject to limited availability and requires advance booking of at least 60 days.
Watch a Giant freshwater stingray fishing video with National Geographic explorer Zeb Hogan
