Bowmouth
Contributor
The sheep has no choice when in the jaws of the wolf.
Andaman Closures?
- Thread starter Buadhai
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There are places where it's very pronounced. There are whole fields of staghorns, especially, that are being covered over in algae growth. Everything that I've seen that's bad, though, has been at quite shallow depths. These aren't the most typical dive sites, other than for training dives or checkout dives. The deeper sites and the soft corals are still quite healthy. People have been expressing disappointment with the shallow, hard-coral sites here in the forum in their trip reports this season, but they've also mostly said that other sites with soft corals (such as Richelieu) and boulders (such as Elephant Head Rock) are just as lovely as ever.
I can't help but think that snorkelers and scuba divers are being lumped together in the assessments that are being reported. Speedboats packed with a couple of dozen snorkelers each select exactly the shallow hard coral sites to take their customers to. And these customers do, in fact, stand on top of the hard corals--many, if not most, of these tourists are non-swimmers and don't feel comfortable with their faces in the water to snorkel, so they wear their PFDs and stand on the coral to feed the fish. I would agree that shallow, hard-coral sites have to be protected from further stress, but I don't see that the closure of entire parks is necessary. Hopefully the decisions will be made carefully in order to allow people to visit the parts of the parks that are not affected.
I can't help but think that snorkelers and scuba divers are being lumped together in the assessments that are being reported. Speedboats packed with a couple of dozen snorkelers each select exactly the shallow hard coral sites to take their customers to. And these customers do, in fact, stand on top of the hard corals--many, if not most, of these tourists are non-swimmers and don't feel comfortable with their faces in the water to snorkel, so they wear their PFDs and stand on the coral to feed the fish. I would agree that shallow, hard-coral sites have to be protected from further stress, but I don't see that the closure of entire parks is necessary. Hopefully the decisions will be made carefully in order to allow people to visit the parts of the parks that are not affected.
mase
Contributor
Selective closings would appear to be more appropriate than closing down the entire park. I have observed some sever bleaching but as mentioned mostly in the shallower sites. Most areas appeared unaffected or sustained minimal damage.
If they decide to close the parks it would be another example of the solution being worse then the problem.
If they decide to close the parks it would be another example of the solution being worse then the problem.
AleG
Contributor
Bowmouth
Contributor
I don't think it's all that simple.
Selective closing of dive-sites in the Similan Islands started already 10 years or so ago. Islands #1, #2 and #3, "Fantasea Reef" (possibly the Similan's premier dive site) and "Christmas Point" were all closed for diving to promote re-generation of the reef and, in case of Island #1, a place for sea turtles to lay eggs undisturbed from boats and tourists. None of these sites have been officially opened to scuba divers ever since.
Closing more dive sites will result in increased crowding of dive sites by dive-boats and divers.
Is that a good option?
Re-opening Island #1 for diving is I think out of the question because of the sea turtle breeding habitat. Re-opening Island # 2 and #3 will not make a big change I think because the shallow areas are all hard-coral and very likely badly affected by the bleaching. Also, Island #2 and #3 do not have dramatic reef scenery and are not all that interesting to dive. There's a few deep areas (30+ meter) that are quite beautiful but in general the diving is very mediocre at these spots.
Re-opening "Fantasea Reef" would help but is just one dive site (OK, two different dives).
"Christmas Point" has been dived on and off after the closing of it by the National Park but was hit quite badly during the tsunami and is not a great site to do multiple dives.
I think one of the problems with the Similan Islands is that there are simply too few really good dive sites and way too many boats and divers crowding those few sites. An ever decreasing amount of fish and big animals in the Park is not helping either and now that many of the hard corals are dead there's not much to enjoy for the seasoned diver. Even if the deeper areas are still beautiful one should not forget that at least half of a dive is done in the shallows and on top of the dead hard coral reef.
It's sad and frustrating but I don't think there's an easy good solution to the problems we are facing.
I believe that neither closing the park and/or dive sites or re-opening some of the closed sites is a good solution. There are many-many more radical changes needed to make the Similan Islands once again a great dive destination.
Selective closing of dive-sites in the Similan Islands started already 10 years or so ago. Islands #1, #2 and #3, "Fantasea Reef" (possibly the Similan's premier dive site) and "Christmas Point" were all closed for diving to promote re-generation of the reef and, in case of Island #1, a place for sea turtles to lay eggs undisturbed from boats and tourists. None of these sites have been officially opened to scuba divers ever since.
Closing more dive sites will result in increased crowding of dive sites by dive-boats and divers.
Is that a good option?
Re-opening Island #1 for diving is I think out of the question because of the sea turtle breeding habitat. Re-opening Island # 2 and #3 will not make a big change I think because the shallow areas are all hard-coral and very likely badly affected by the bleaching. Also, Island #2 and #3 do not have dramatic reef scenery and are not all that interesting to dive. There's a few deep areas (30+ meter) that are quite beautiful but in general the diving is very mediocre at these spots.
Re-opening "Fantasea Reef" would help but is just one dive site (OK, two different dives).
"Christmas Point" has been dived on and off after the closing of it by the National Park but was hit quite badly during the tsunami and is not a great site to do multiple dives.
I think one of the problems with the Similan Islands is that there are simply too few really good dive sites and way too many boats and divers crowding those few sites. An ever decreasing amount of fish and big animals in the Park is not helping either and now that many of the hard corals are dead there's not much to enjoy for the seasoned diver. Even if the deeper areas are still beautiful one should not forget that at least half of a dive is done in the shallows and on top of the dead hard coral reef.
It's sad and frustrating but I don't think there's an easy good solution to the problems we are facing.
I believe that neither closing the park and/or dive sites or re-opening some of the closed sites is a good solution. There are many-many more radical changes needed to make the Similan Islands once again a great dive destination.
Bowmouth
Contributor
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) will today request that parts of the Similan and Surin national parks be closed to protect dying corals there.
DMCR Director-General Kasemssan Jinnawaso announced yesterday that his department would file the request with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation Department, which manages the national parks.
“We will request closure of only certain parts within the Similan and Surin national parks. Tourists will still be able to dive in the parks, but certain parts will be off-limits to allow the coral to recover,” Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) Director Wannakiat Thubthimsang told the Phuket Gazette last night.
“Officers in the parks will need to be more strict about park regulations, especially with tour boats and visitors dumping trash into the sea. We are still finding tourist trash, such as empty water bottles, beer cans and snack packets floating inside the parks,” Director Wannakiat said.
“Also, all boats entering the park must have septic tanks installed and operators will face stiff penalties for discharging their tanks inside the park,” he added.
The new measures being proposed are to protect corals already suffering from rising sea temperatures.
“Coral bleaching is from global warming, which is happening the world over. The ideal average sea water temperature for coral to grow is 29°C, but last year the average temperature at these dive sites rose above 30°C, and peaked around 33°C,” he explained.
“Coral needs zooxanthellae to survive. When temperatures rise, the zooxanthellae starts dying, and that means the coral starts dying, too,” he said.
Director Wannakiat explained that coral needs three to five years to mature to at least have a chance of surviving long enough for the zooxanthellae to return.
However, there will be no request to close the reefs off Phi Phi Island and Maithon Island, he added.
“The dominant species of coral there grows fast. The bleached areas there will take probably only a year to recover,” he said.
DMCR Director-General Kasemssan Jinnawaso announced yesterday that his department would file the request with the National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation Department, which manages the national parks.
“We will request closure of only certain parts within the Similan and Surin national parks. Tourists will still be able to dive in the parks, but certain parts will be off-limits to allow the coral to recover,” Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) Director Wannakiat Thubthimsang told the Phuket Gazette last night.
“Officers in the parks will need to be more strict about park regulations, especially with tour boats and visitors dumping trash into the sea. We are still finding tourist trash, such as empty water bottles, beer cans and snack packets floating inside the parks,” Director Wannakiat said.
“Also, all boats entering the park must have septic tanks installed and operators will face stiff penalties for discharging their tanks inside the park,” he added.
The new measures being proposed are to protect corals already suffering from rising sea temperatures.
“Coral bleaching is from global warming, which is happening the world over. The ideal average sea water temperature for coral to grow is 29°C, but last year the average temperature at these dive sites rose above 30°C, and peaked around 33°C,” he explained.
“Coral needs zooxanthellae to survive. When temperatures rise, the zooxanthellae starts dying, and that means the coral starts dying, too,” he said.
Director Wannakiat explained that coral needs three to five years to mature to at least have a chance of surviving long enough for the zooxanthellae to return.
However, there will be no request to close the reefs off Phi Phi Island and Maithon Island, he added.
“The dominant species of coral there grows fast. The bleached areas there will take probably only a year to recover,” he said.
Bowmouth
Contributor
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