How BlueQuest Is Bringing Marine Conservation Into the Phuket Travel Experience

BlueQuest has partnered with OZO Phuket and Amari Phuket to train hotels, communities and volunteers in marine wildlife rescue

Traveling responsibly in Phuket can mean more than choosing where to stay, eat or explore. With beaches and the Andaman Sea central to the island’s appeal, knowing what to do when marine wildlife is in trouble can also make a difference.

BlueQuest is bringing that idea closer to Phuket’s tourism community through a partnership with OZO Phuket and Amari Phuket. On Friday 25 September 2026, the organizations held a practical workshop at OZO Phuket covering basic rescue techniques for stranded rare marine animals and how to report incidents through the BlueQuest app.

The session brought together government agencies, hotels, conservation groups, local communities and volunteers, with the aim of improving coordination when marine wildlife is found stranded along Thailand’s coast.

What Happens When You Find a Stranded Marine Animal?

For most travelers, spotting a stranded or injured marine animal presents an immediate question: what should you actually do?

The Phuket workshop addressed that gap by introducing participants to the identification and conservation status of rare marine species, the threats they face and basic principles for assessing stranded animals. Training also covered carcass handling, data collection and coordination with the appropriate authorities.

Practical simulations took participants through different stages of a response, from assessing an incident and planning assistance to selecting materials available locally.

Just as importantly, participants practiced recording GPS coordinates, taking photographs and providing essential information that specialist teams can use to assess an incident and determine an appropriate response.

Turning a Phone Into a Conservation Tool

Technology is another part of the equation.

BlueQuest allows users to report environmental incidents directly through its mobile app. A report can include the type of incident, GPS location, photographs, time and other details about what has been observed.

The information can then support verification and assessment while helping connect reports with relevant agencies. For travelers, it provides a straightforward way to contribute useful information without needing specialist knowledge themselves.

BlueQuest also provides natural hazard and emergency alerts that may affect travel and tourism, alongside destination information.

“BlueQuest was developed to do more than provide a channel for reporting environmental issues that people encounter,” said Claire Narida Charanachitta, the 17-year-old Thai founder of BlueQuest. “We want the app to be a centralized data platform that connects people, information and the relevant agencies.”

Hotels Join the Conservation Network

The involvement of OZO Phuket and Amari Phuket also illustrates the role hotels can play in destinations where tourism and marine ecosystems are closely connected.

The workshop received technical expertise and coordination support from Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (Upper Andaman Sea), and the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

Participants included representatives from the Siritharn Marine Endangered Species Rescue Center in Phuket, Thai Whale, Sirinat National Park and Khao Lampi–Hat Thai Mueang National Park, as well as the Ao Tang Khen community, volunteers and local conservation networks.

Bringing these groups together helps create a more connected response system. A hotel employee, traveler, local resident or volunteer might be the first person to encounter an animal in distress, while trained specialists and authorities are ultimately needed to determine what happens next.

Phuket Is Just the Beginning

Phuket is the first destination where BlueQuest has combined its app with community learning and practical training.

The initiative is expected to expand to other major coastal and marine tourism destinations in Thailand, including Krabi, Koh Samui and Pattaya.

For travelers, the concept adds another dimension to responsible tourism. Protecting a destination does not always require joining a conservation project or volunteering for an entire holiday. Sometimes it begins with recognizing a problem, recording the right information and knowing where to send it.

BlueQuest is available for iOS and Android.

[PHOTO: Courtesy of BlueQuest]