The waters of Maya Bay on the popular tourists on the island of Ko Phi Phi Le in the southwestern part of Thailand in the Andaman Sea began to teem with sharks. Now tourists are only allowed to enter the water up to their knees, according to Foxnews.
In 2018, local authorities became concerned about the environmental damage caused by the growing number of tourists to the ecosystem, and announced a temporary closure of the island to the public. Initially, the restriction was supposed to last only four months, but as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and other events, it dragged on for four years.
During this time, the shark population near the island has fully recovered and began to feel great. In 2022, authorities allowed limited tourism to the island but continued to monitor shark numbers. It turned out that the return of tourists again led to a decrease in the population. Conservationists demand tougher restrictions, but the authorities are in no hurry to do so. Tourism accounted for 12% of Thailand's GDP before the pandemic, and income from the 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 Chuangcharoendi on this occasion.
At the moment, the island has special restrictions and rules for visiting. So, tourist boats should moor on the other side of the island, and visitors should walk to the beach. The number of visitors allowed on the beaches each hour is limited to 375. A maximum of knee-deep entry is allowed in the water.
The beaches of Phi Phi Le Island gained popularity after the release of the movie The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio in 2000. During the peak period until 2018, the island received 5,000 tourists and 200 boats a day.
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