Located off the western coast of Thailand, the Similan Islands National Marine Park is a global hotspot of tropical coral reef biodiversity.
The name 'Similan' translates into 'Nine' in the local Moken (sea gypsy) dialect and reflects the main islands within the protected area. Jacques Cousteau once described this area as one of the planet's most prolific reef eco-systems, including discovering it's most famous dive site, Richilieu Rock.
Much has changed in the decades following his visit. Today, it is subject to a number of outside pressures, both man-made and environmental. Overfishing is a serious problem, with the numbers of fish declining dramatically in recent years; once large schools of barracuda, trevally, emperor and snapper have almost dissappeared. Additionaly, in 2004 the area was hit directly by the tsunami which devastated the region and was subject to a mass coral bleaching event during the last El Nino.
The growth in tourism has had mixed effects; bringing much needed jobs and industry to the area, but exerting enormous pressure on the fragile eco-systems. A well developed diving industry brings in divers by the thousands each year. As in other developing nations, not all place an emphasis on conservation and good diving practice. It's very common to see groups touching or damaging marine life. This influx of people brings enormous human waste with it and authorities in the area struggle to maintain coordinated policies.
Without serious intervention from the international community and in particular, the divers who spend their tourist dollars there, this unique marine eco-system will be lost.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. November 29th, 2012. Critically endangered, the Similan Islands National Marine Park are one of the hawksbill sea turtle’s remaining protected areas. A small scientific breeding program is maintained by park officials, although recent surveys suggest numbers are continuing to decline despite local efforts.
THAILAND, SImilan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. November 29th, 2011. Large schools of barracuda are becoming more and more difficult to see within the sanctuary. Overfishing has caused a significant drop in overall numbers, with schools today being less than half of what was seen only a few years ago.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. Novmber 29th, 2011. Many dive boats don’t realize the impact they have on the marine environment when they discard food waste into the sea. Along with the Rabbitfish and Sergeant Majors, the local Titan Triggerfish have become habituated to discarded food waste, becoming very excited and often acting aggressively towards divers and snorkelers.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. March 4th, 2013. Large green moray eels are a fixture of the world’s tropical coral reefs, including the Similan Islands. Their ferocious appearance does not befit their generally benign temperament. Unfortunately, a local diving guide lost a finger while trying to feed one in an effort to entertain tourist divers.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. March 22, 2013. The Similan Islands are a sanctuary for the endangered Green Sea Turtle. One rather friendly turtle, nicknamed Oscar, regularily approaches boats at one of the overnight mooring bouys. Accustomed to humans, Oscar has become habituated as a result of being fed from the various dive boats, changing his daily feeding habits putting him in danger of being hit by a passing boat.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. March 29th, 2013. Policing the appropriate catch limits and boundaries for the local fishing fleets is a serious issue. Here a number of fishing boats shelter at a popular tourist island nicknamed ‘Sail Rock’ within the main Marine Sanctuary. There is a three-mile radius ‘no take’ zone around the marine park, which officials struggle to enforce.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. March 30th, 2013. The tsunami of 2004 had a devastating impact on the Western coast of Thailand including the Similans. Pictured at Koh Bon, where the sloping reef was ideally positioned to take force of the rolling wave, today it resembles a graveyard, with broken acropora coral covering the western ridge.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. March 30th, 2013. A small group of indigenous sea gypsies, known locally as the ‘Moken’, have been allowed to settle in a few small villages inside the marine park. Traditionally sea faring fisherman, their fishing grounds and territory has been eroded away by development. Today, many have been forced to settle and along with losing most of their economic capacity, have resorted to selling trinkets to tourists.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. April 3rd, 2013. The Thai squid fishing fleet is a fixture at sunset on the horizon. Most nights there are too many boats to count, other than a constant stream of lights in the distance. The scale of the operation is poorly controlled and as result, squid have all but disappeared within the marine park boundaries.
THAILAND. Similan Islands National Marine Park, Phangna Province. April 5th, 2013. A rare clown shrimp species has made it’s home inside a discarded fishing net. Human waste, especially discarded plastics, have become a serious problem within the park. Enforcement of sustainable fishing practices and rubbish disposal is also almost non-existent.
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