Maya Bay Now Open To Tourists

Maya Bay in Krabi province is now open to tourists after being closed for 2 months. The world-famous bay was closed to the public for rehabilitation. The rehabilitation will occur annually to protect the ecology and species that inhabit or visit the renowned bay.

Maya Bay’s popularity soared when it was featured in the 2000 film “The Beach” starring Leonardo DiCaprio. Millions of local and foreign tourists visited the location causing substantial harm to the natural environment.

Around 50% of Maya Bay’s coral was damaged through the years of uncontrolled tourism with around 6,000 tourists per day at the bay’s peak of popularity, leading to its abrupt closure in 2018.  After over two decades of environmental deterioration and destruction, the bay remained closed for 3 and half years.

According to park officials, the decision to shut the park for two months every year was influenced by the climate during this season. A break from tourists will enable nature to repair itself.

The lovely bay reopened on January 1 this year, and vacationers promptly descended upon it with more caution. Only 8 boats were permitted at any one time to dock on the pier side of the island and there are areas that will be allowed for swimming.  From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., national park officers would take guests off the beach and bring a new group onto the sand after 1 hour.

All tourist activities were temporarily stopped in Maya Bay in August and September to allow the onshore and offshore ecosystems to recover. During that time, the treatment seemed to be effective. The employees of the national park saw a group of 10 bottlenose dolphins in the southern portion of Maya Bay last month.

Maya Bay’s three-year closure effectively reintroduces plant and animal species that had vanished due to over-tourism. The blacktip shark is the most prominent species to return to reproduce in the area. A park ranger told NPR in March that prior to the park’s closure when there were up to 6,000 visitors per day, no one would have considered viewing the local sharks. He said that presently, one might see 160 sharks on a good day.

SOURCE: Phuket Express

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