The waters of Maya Bay on the popular tourist island of Koh Phi Phi Le in the southwestern part of Thailand in the Andaman Sea have become teeming with sharks. Tourists are now only allowed to go into the water up to their knees, Foxnews reports.
In 2018, local authorities were concerned about the ecological damage that the growing number of tourists was causing to the ecosystem and announced the temporary closure of the island to visitors. Initially, the restriction was supposed to last only four months, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and other events, it was extended to four years.
During this time, the shark population near the island has completely recovered and is doing great. In 2022, authorities allowed limited tourism to the island but continued to monitor the number of sharks. It turned out that tourists again led to a decrease in the population. Conservationists are demanding that restrictions be tightened, but the authorities are in no hurry. Tourism accounted for 12% of Thailand’s GDP before the pandemic, and revenue from Phi Phi Island National Park has almost halved since the tourism ban.
“We hope that with the restrictions in place, we can mitigate the impact on sharks and find the best way for tourism and the environment to coexist,” said marine researcher Metawi Chuangcharoyendi.
At the moment, the island has special restrictions and visiting rules. Yes, tourist boats have to dock on the other side of the island, and visitors have to walk to the beach. The number of visitors allowed on the beach every hour is limited to 375. The water is only allowed to go up to the knee.
The beaches of Phi Phi Le Island gained popularity after the release of the movie “The Beach” with Leonardo DiCaprio in 2000. At its peak in 2018, the island received 5,000 tourists and 200 boats per day.