Similan And Surin National Parks Diving Paradises May Be Closed

[Crushdepth]

Now go and read up!

Diving is NOT a trivial cause of damage.As for reports I'm saying correctly that there is not enough info gathered on these sites to make an informed decision.

Please do NOT let your diving bias get in the way of your understanding of the MULTIPLE causes of reef damage.

I am 'read up'. I have a degree in marine biology and about 2 years of sea time *in the water* working on reefs both in ecotourism and on the scientific side. I work for an organisation involved in aquatic resource management, and I dive recreationally.

So who is ignorant here? Why don't you go do a diving course and go see for yourself. Then come back and tell me who's wrong.

[Deeral]

Now go and read up!

Diving is NOT a trivial cause of damage.As for reports I'm saying correctly that there is not enough info gathered on these sites to make an informed decision.

Please do NOT let your diving bias get in the way of your understanding of the MULTIPLE causes of reef damage.

I am 'read up'. I have a degree in marine biology and about 2 years of sea time *in the water* working on reefs both in ecotourism and on the scientific side. I work for an organisation involved in aquatic resource management, and I dive recreationally.

So who is ignorant here? Why don't you go do a diving course and go see for yourself. Then come back and tell me who's wrong.

if only you knew Your;'re claiming dubious qualifications and putting forward both false and misleading information - are you OK or some kind of Walter Mitty or Munchausen? - you seem to be self-delusory.

.I actually think you don't have a degree, because you talk such nonsense - I think you are one of those people who thinks they know everything but in reality understands nothing - some of your theories are so preposterous you'd be laughed out of class.

I'm not going to enter a "my daddies a policman" argument but suffice it to say your'e arguing with someone much better qualified then yourself!I think other posters should know you for a fraud though.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Deeral

[Jason1968]

I worked as a dive Master at the Similians many years ago and as i recall divers do not use bleach.

Its the Thai fishermen that should be banned from the Park

All Divers are told NOT to step on the coral and most are aware of how fragile they are.

It states clearly that bleaching is caused by rising sea temperatures, nothing to do with fisherman using bleach.

[Deeral]

I worked as a dive Master at the Similians many years ago and as i recall divers do not use bleach.

Its the Thai fishermen that should be banned from the Park

All Divers are told NOT to step on the coral and most are aware of how fragile they are.

It states clearly that bleaching is caused by rising sea temperatures, nothing to do with fisherman using bleach.

Agreed - and this nit claims he is a" dive master" - God Help the world's reefs!

[Jason1968]

I dive all these sites regularly. I can say for sure the coral is in rough shape. The Irony is the divers are for the most part the most ecologically conscious groups of people out there. I am not a Thailand basher. In fact I usually read alot of this commentary with disgust at how much Thai bashing goes on by people who are living here as guests.

That said, I can't help but think divers are being singled out because they are tourists. Almost no Thais dive. I wager at everyone of these sights the fishing boats (who are not supposed to be there anyway, yet always seem to be) are responsible for 100 times the pollution of the dive boats. I have seen it with my own eyes. The saddest thing, is the largest factor in coral death is sudden water temperature shifts, which are beyond the control of anyone sitting in a boat. If the close the Similans I can say for certain Thailand's already suffering tourist trade will take yet another hit from shortsighted politicians. Of course, they could always restrict access by raising the park fees? I wonder if that is being suggested.

Speaking as a Diver myself and a resident in Thailand, I agree that there is no group of people more interested and aware of the environment than Divers. I am also lucky enough to meet quite a lot of Thai Divers - I will tell you I have NEVER once seen a Diver doing anything that would harm the underwater environment we love so much. I do however see a lot of discarded rubbish in the Sea (Gulf of Thailand) and It is not the dive boats.

I have dived many times in Thailand. I do not know what the main reason for declining coral, I guess all of the reasons mentioned are a factor. To the comments about instructors and divers being aware of the fragility of coral, although the instructors verbalise to this effect, I have seen many divers accidentally stepping on coral due to lack of control. I was also in a group when an extremely experienced dive master, wrongly in strong current, tried to take inexperienced divers in a swim through and they were struggling and banging against coral. This may have been just a one off, but I do not believe this. IMHO

[Deeral]

How many dives do you think take place in a year on these reefs????

Cayman Islands are introducing limits - these limits will be about 3000 dives.

We are talking about THOUSANDS of dives on the Similans - do some posters still seriously think they have no effect of the environment?

what I see here is a load of blinkered people trying to exonerate themselves from blame - and paying no heed whatsoever to the accumulated information on this subject from around the world

[naiharn]

I am 'read up'. I have a degree in marine biology and about 2 years of sea time *in the water* working on reefs both in ecotourism and on the scientific side. I work for an organisation involved in aquatic resource management, and I dive recreationally.

So who is ignorant here? Why don't you go do a diving course and go see for yourself. Then come back and tell me who's wrong.

if only you knew

If only he knew what?

Your;'re claiming dubious qualifications and putting forward both false and misleading information - are you OK or some kind of Walter Mitty or Munchausen? - you seem to be self-delusory.

.I actually think you don't have a degree, because you talk such nonsense - I think you are one of those people who thinks they know everything but in reality understands nothing - some of your theories are so preposterous you'd be laughed out of class.

I'm not going to enter a "my daddies a policman" argument but suffice it to say your'e arguing with someone much better qualified then yourself!I think other posters should know you for a fraud though.

Deeral:

- do you have a degree in marine biology?

- do you have a degree in any form of biology?

- are you a qualified SCUBA diver?

- if so approximately how many hours underwater have you logged?

- how many hours of diving have you logged around the Similan Islands?

- On what basis do you say Crushdepth's qualifications are dubious? Do you dispute he has a degree, or do you think that is irrelevant?

are you OK or some kind of Walter Mitty or Munchausen? - you seem to be self-delusory.

You might want to desist from this type of childish abuse: far from advancing your argument, it just presents you as a foolish person who can only rant and rave when someone presents a convincing case they don't agree with.

[webfact]

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Diving sites in Thailand to be closed for a month

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