Phuket divers blasted for coral damage

[snoop1130]

Phuket divers blasted for coral damage

Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The photo showing what Go Eco Phuket say is a Chinese tourist sitting on the damaged coral. Photo: Go Eco Phuket / Facebook

 

PHUKET:-- A Facebook conservation group (Go Eco Phuket) has blasted dive tour operators for damage to coral reefs at Koh Racha Yai, saying that a surge in dive tour numbers is a reason for the increasing amount of damage.

 

The Go-Eco Phuket Facebook page yesterday (Dec 10) posted a photo of what they said was a Chinese tourist sitting on coral reefs at Bungalow Bay, Racha Yai Island while taking a photo.

 

Along with the photo was the message, “Underwater network has run out of patience after trying to contact government offices to suppress tour companies on marine tourism and marine conservation issues since October.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-divers-blasted-for-coral-damage-65075.php#WHOvEjoI1jDYvywx.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2017-12-11

[jaiyen]

That is a typical photo of the underwater scenery around Phuket.  Everything is dead. Not even 1 fish in the photo !  Much of the coral damage is caused by the dive boats dropping the anchor on a coral reef and smashing the living coral. Do this 50 times a day every day for 20 years and its no surprise its all dead.  The Thai caring attitude !!  What a joke.

[terminatorchiangmai]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

That is a typical photo of the underwater scenery around Phuket.  Everything is dead. Not even 1 fish in the photo !  Much of the coral damage is caused by the dive boats dropping the anchor on a coral reef and smashing the living coral. Do this 50 times a day every day for 20 years and its no surprise its all dead.  The Thai caring attitude !!  What a joke.

More easy to blame the Chinese.

[stevenl]

1 hour ago, jaiyen said:

That is a typical photo of the underwater scenery around Phuket.  Everything is dead. Not even 1 fish in the photo !  Much of the coral damage is caused by the dive boats dropping the anchor on a coral reef and smashing the living coral. Do this 50 times a day every day for 20 years and its no surprise its all dead.  The Thai caring attitude !!  What a joke.

For years and years already diveboats are not dropping anchor.

 

And everything is far from dead, lots and lots of fish on all divesites at the moment.

 

Your post is showing lots of ignorance.

[farcanell]

Coral reef vs coral wasteland.... which is closest to the picture in the article?

 

sidenote... does this guy have a BCV on? I can’t tell (maybe he does).. but if not, is this typical of Phuket dive operators... dive operators who should be monitoring the activity of those in their care... and their safety

[stevenl]

8 minutes ago, farcanell said:

Coral reef vs coral wasteland.... which is closest to the picture in the article?

 

sidenote... does this guy have a BCV on? I can’t tell (maybe he does).. but if not, is this typical of Phuket dive operators... dive operators who should be monitoring the activity of those in their care... and their safety

 

 

He is clearly wearing a BCD. 

Edited December 12, 2017 by stevenl

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

He is clearly wearing a BCD. 

Well that’s good... designs have come a long way since I last used one, but that doesn’t surprise me, it’s been awhile

 

But.... its a pity the dive masters didn’t instruct the diver on how to use it, and actively monitor his charges

[stevenl]

7 hours ago, farcanell said:

Well that’s good... designs have come a long way since I last used one, but that doesn’t surprise me, it’s been awhile

 

But.... its a pity the dive masters didn’t instruct the diver on how to use it, and actively monitor his charges

That is what this thread is about.

[Soupdragon]

When I worked on the liveaboards I offered a free Peak Performance Bouyancy course to people using digital cameras. The idea was to teach them to think about their position in the water whilst taking pictures. I have so many people concentrating on the photo whilst their fins were dragging over the corals. 

[stevenl]

11 hours ago, farcanell said:

Well that’s good... designs have come a long way since I last used one, but that doesn’t surprise me, it’s been awhile

 

But.... its a pity the dive masters didn’t instruct the diver on how to use it, and actively monitor his charges

It is a Wave BCD (Aqualung) and he is wearing a North Star (which is the boat) weightbelt.

[Old Croc]

14 hours ago, farcanell said:

Coral reef vs coral wasteland.... which is closest to the picture in the article?

 

sidenote... does this guy have a BCV on? I can’t tell (maybe he does).. but if not, is this typical of Phuket dive operators... dive operators who should be monitoring the activity of those in their care... and their safety

The first picture appears to be the result of cyanide fishing or perhaps blasting.

The second pic looks like an aquarium.

Any link to the actual thread about a diver sitting on a reef at Racha?

[farcanell]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

The first picture appears to be the result of cyanide fishing or perhaps blasting.

The second pic looks like an aquarium.

Any link to the actual thread about a diver sitting on a reef at Racha?

The response (link to thread) was to a post suggesting that the reef system was being abused, with no fish anywhere, anchor damage and the like.

 

the second paragraph (link to OP)of my post, goes on further to suggest that local dive masters are at fault, not an individual tourists sitting on the reef, without using buoyancy control, which allows one to “hover” whilst taking happy snaps

 

so yes... and there ya go.

Edited December 13, 2017 by farcanell