THAILAND - ONE OF THE WORLD'S TOP-10 DIVE DESTINATIONS

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THAILAND – ONE OF THE WORLD’S TOP-10 DIVE DESTINATIONS Although they are no longer a secret to the diving community, Thailand’s marine attractions remain among the best-loved in Asia. Here are some reasons why… Natural history Undersea pinnacles host large pelagic fish, rays and whale sharks Reefs feature a great diversity of corals, fish and other marine life, especially along the Andaman coastline Feeding this diversity are mangrove forests, which protect coastlines, and serve as nurseries for marine fish and other animals Sea grass beds stretching along the Andaman coastline from Ranong to Satun, as well as in the Gulf of Thailand, provide critical habitat for dugongs and marine turtles REEF STABILITY AND HEALTH Thailand reefs are more stable than reefs in some other parts of Asia. The impact of the 2004 tsunami were limited to 13 per cent of Thailand's reefs. Dynamic Change of Coral Reefs in the Andaman Sea, Thailand Findings from a study undertaken by the Phuket Marine Biological Center in Phuket, Thailand to monitor the long-term status of coral reefs in the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the pattern of dynamic change of the reefs and causes of change. Proportions of live/dead coral cover provide a visual indicator of reef health in the Andaman Sea. Please click to expand Sixty study sites were grouped into 3 regions. North – offshore Transect sites at Surin Islands group and the Similan Islands group Central – near shore Transect sites in Phuket (at North and South Patong) and Phi Phi Islands South – offshore Transect sites at the Adang-Rawi Islands group Data collected from permanently marked transects on the upper reef slopes at these 60 locations revealed the following findings. 30 of reef sites showed damage from environmental factors followed by good recovery 31.7 of sites were damaged by the tsunami and are predicted to show recovery within the next 3-10 years if conditions remain favourable for reef growth. ACCESSIBILITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE Thailand’s position at the geographic crossroads of Asia makes it both a travel hub and destination. The marine realm is very accessible with international and domestic connections to dive take-off points at Phuket, Ranong, Krabi, Trang, Satun and Koh Samui. Diving in Thailand is possible year-round, with Andaman Sea sites accessible during November to May, and Gulf of Thailand sites available in other months. A plethora of registered dive businesses makes organizing dive tours easy, certification possible for beginners, and specialty instruction (e.g. deep water, wreck, nitrox diving) available to advanced divers. A Google search on the words “diving courses Thailand” returns 2,060,000 links. Story by Antony J. Lynam Hotel in Phuket Thailand visit http://www.hotel2thailand.org/phuket-hotels.html