on 28 Sep 2026
In Phuket, underwater cameraman David Martin is turning documentation into direct action, breeding bamboo sharks and releasing them back into the Andaman Sea's threatened reefs.
Sometimes, even nature needs a helping hand. In small floating baskets at the surface of the water, dark egg cases, no larger than the palm of my hand, reveal very little at first glance. Only when one is illuminated from below does the shape of a bamboo shark, perfectly curled inside, become visible for the first time.
The developing shark appears in remarkable detail, far more recognisable than I could have imagined. Usually, beneath the reefs of the Andaman Sea, bamboo shark eggs are laid and left to develop on their own, vulnerable to turtles and other reef predators long before they hatch. Here, those first months unfold under careful watch, marking the beginning of a closely monitored journey.
From Cameras to Conservation
For David Martin (above), co-founder of Oceans for All, that journey represents a shift from documenting marine life to actively helping restore it. An underwater cameraman and shark behaviour specialist whose work has appeared in National Geographic and on the BBC, Martin has spent more than two decades living in Phuket and filming life beneath the surface. His focus now extends beyond recording what remains to helping rebuild what has gradually been lost.
Across the Andaman Sea, species that once replenished themselves with little assistance now face mounting pressure from habitat loss, fishing and environmental change. The brownbanded bamboo shark, a small reef-dwelling species native to Thailand’s waters, is now listed as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List. For Martin, the loss of predators is not a side note in the story of reef decline, but an important and often overlooked part of it.
“Many people assume that a degraded reef is primarily the result of pollution, excessive tourism, careless snorkelling practices, or anchor damage,” he says. “While these factors certainly contribute to reef decline, the loss of predators is often an overlooked driver of ecosystem imbalance.”
His ambition, in simple terms, is to re-shark the reefs.
A New Era for Bamboo Sharks
In June 2023, Oceans for All partnered with JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa to open the Bamboo Shark Nursery & Conservation Center, providing the practical means to begin doing exactly that. The facility brings marine conservation into a hotel environment without turning it into a spectacle. Visitor numbers are deliberately limited, with the sharks’ welfare always coming first.
The work on the ground is led by marine biologists Khun Ying and Khun Natch, who oversee the sharks from egg to release, caring for them through each stage of development. The tanks progress by age, taking visitors from eggs and newly hatched sharks through to juveniles preparing for release.
“Approximately 90 per cent of eggs containing a viable embryo successfully hatch and survive through to the release stage,” Martin confirms.
The eggs arrive through a collaboration with the Marine Biological Centre at Cape Panwa Aquarium, Phuket, where adult bamboo sharks form part of their breeding programme. After arriving in Khao Lak, they spend around four months developing before hatching.
In the Limelight
The newly hatched sharks are surprisingly shy, making feeding time a private affair. Visitors are no longer present during this part of the day, although I was lucky enough to observe one feeding as the team prepared finely chopped mackerel, tuna and prawns, almost like a tiny seafood tartare for the nursery’s youngest residents.
By around five months old, the sharks begin feeding on live fish as they develop the instincts needed for life beyond the nursery. After months of care and observation, this is the moment the entire team has been working towards. At around 25-30cm in length and six months old, the young sharks are finally ready for release.
Every release matters, but Martin still remembers the first. “Until that point, the nursery had been an idea driven by hope and determination,” he says. “Watching those first juvenile bamboo sharks disappear into the Andaman Sea transformed that vision into reality.”
Today, releases take place every two to three months, with sea conditions and tidal patterns carefully considered prior to each one. The young sharks are released into the shallow waters just offshore, allowing them to gradually make their way towards the nearby reef systems located around five kilometres from the resort.
The work does not end once the sharks disappear beneath the surface. Khun Ying and Khun Natch regularly join monitoring dives on the surrounding reefs, reporting sightings of previous releases. Current observations suggest that between 70 and 80 per cent of the young sharks successfully establish themselves in the wild. For Martin, these sightings represent something more than successful releases.
“Conservation is not just about protecting what remains,” Martin says. “It is also about actively rebuilding what has been lost and giving nature a chance to recover.”
Hope for the Future
More than 70 bamboo sharks have now been released via this initiative, but the ambitions of this nursery extend far beyond these first releases. The long-term goal is to increase capacity, move towards monthly releases and eventually release up to 100 sharks each year.
Visitor response has been significant, with more than 42,000 people passing through the nursery to date. For Martin, the project is not only about raising sharks, but about changing the relationship between people and the oceans that surround them.
“Our vision is simple,” Martin says. “To transform visitors from spectators into participants in ocean conservation.”
In a region where tourism depends heavily on healthy oceans, the nursery offers a tangible connection between the visitor experience and marine restoration. Rather than treating the sea as a backdrop, the project explores how hospitality can play a more active role in its recovery.
This nursery is not simply about breeding sharks. It sits at the intersection of science, hospitality and conservation, using one small reef species to tell a much larger story. The real ambition is that one day such intervention will no longer be necessary.
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