32 diving spots closed temporarily to facilitate sea temperature checks



BANGKOK: -- A total of 32 diving spots in the Gulf and the Andaman Sea have been ordered closed to divers temporarily to allow officials to check the sea temperatures for fear that sea warming may lead to coral bleaching.

The temporary closure of the diving spots – 15 in the Andaman Sea and 17 in the Gulf – was ordered by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and the Department of National Park, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.

An official of the Nopparatthara-Phi Phi Islands National Park in Krabi province said the sea temperature at the depth of 1.3 metre in the vicinity of Koh Mai Phai in Tambon Ao Nang was measured at an average of 29.2 Celsius while the sea temperature near Koh Hong in Tarnboke Khoranee national park in Tambon Khao Thong was measured at 31 Celsius.

Mr Sarayuth Tanthien, chief of Nopparatthara-Phi Phi Islands National Park, said that there were concerns that the sea warming might cause coral bleaching like the one 11 years ago which caused extensive damage to shallow corals.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/content/157017


-- Thai PBS 2016-03-28

Close the site to take a temperature? Maybe they are worriedt that all the peeing divers will affect their measurements. Or just getting run over by a prop...

Edited March 27, 201610 yr by cloudhopper

I don't know anything about diving but how does a slack hand full of chaps bimbling about doing Jaques Cousteau impressions affect the sea temperature?

Edited March 27, 201610 yr by JAG

Why they need no witnesses under water? What they are up to?

If it looks like a lie, it sound like a lie, it feels like a lie, it must be a lie.

terrifying the lack of education here.

Would be nice if they explain the reason for closing. Now they look stupid.

Close the site to take a temperature? Maybe they are worriedt that all the peeing divers will affect their measurements. Or just getting run over by a prop...

Honestly, the fear of getting run over by one of the cowboy boat pilots is probably their real concern. Those guys are insane. It's better to just have the area off-limits if they are diving and trying to do sensitive work.

So ,What do they think that the government can do about the global warming and rising sea temperature ? Erica ! I know, they will approve money (to be shared with the officials) to air condition the sea.

So ,What do they think that the government can do about the global warming and rising sea temperature ? Erica ! I know, they will approve money (to be shared with the officials) to air condition the sea.

I heard that the bars in coastal areas will only get one bag of ice a week, the rest will be dumped near the diving sites...

Bullpoo......something or someone on the cover up

Crap,,,

Close the site to take a temperature? Maybe they are worriedt that all the peeing divers will affect their measurements. Or just getting run over by a prop...

Honestly, the fear of getting run over by one of the cowboy boat pilots is probably their real concern. Those guys are insane. It's better to just have the area off-limits if they are diving and trying to do sensitive work.

Sensitive work? Tying a thermometer to a string and putting it over the side of the boat?

Once again I am left scratching my head.

If they have to run boats up and down dragging sensors, it would make sense that they shouldn't have to wait for Gladys or Tarquin to finish their BSAC-approved first dive before they do it.

What's all the fuss about?

Would be nice if they explain the reason for closing. Now they look stupid.

Rumours of a card game -

So ,What do they think that the government can do about the global warming and rising sea temperature ? Erica ! I know, they will approve money (to be shared with the officials) to air condition the sea.

I heard that the bars in coastal areas will only get one bag of ice a week, the rest will be dumped near the diving sites...

After the announcement that planes would be used to spray water to get rid of the Northern haze, I'd say this idea is not beyond the realms of possibility....

terrifying the lack of education here.

I presume by here you mean this thread?

They are temporarily closing those places to give the corals the best chance of surviving and recovering from a bleaching event by removing the stress to the ecosystem from tourist activity.

Not that it would stop the Thai bashers though, damned if they do (take preventative measures to protect the reefs) and damned if they don't.

They are temporarily closing those places to give the corals the best chance of surviving and recovering from a bleaching event by removing the stress to the ecosystem from tourist activity.

Mmmm ...... If that is true, I'm sure everyone would respect their position. Why didn't they say that then? and can you substantiate your post?

They are temporarily closing those places to give the corals the best chance of surviving and recovering from a bleaching event by removing the stress to the ecosystem from tourist activity.

Mmmm ...... If that is true, I'm sure everyone would respect their position. Why didn't they say that then? and can you substantiate your post?

I see that the Koh Tao nutters are still following me around.

They have closed dive sites to allow the coral to recover before:

"In response to the bleaching, Thailand's Department of National Parks has temporarily shut down 18 popular diving sites, including tourism hot spot Phi Phi, and Similan, which is one of the top 10 diving destinations in the world, according to the National Geographic Society.

The bleached reefs will stay closed for up to 14 months to let the coral recover."

And they are doing it now:

"The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants is about to close the Yoong island in the Andaman Sea to outsiders probably later this month in order to protect antler coral from bleaching.

Dr Thorn Thamrongnavasawat, vice dean of the faculty of fishery of Kasetsart University, disclosed during the weekend that he had suggested the department to close the Yoong island which is in the Phi-Phi archipelago to outsiders in order to ease coral bleaching problem which may occur this month due to the warming up of sea water as a result of El Nino."

Now crawl back under your rock.

Edited March 29, 201610 yr by AleG

So ,What do they think that the government can do about the global warming and rising sea temperature ? Erica ! I know, they will approve money (to be shared with the officials) to air condition the sea.

I heard that the bars in coastal areas will only get one bag of ice a week, the rest will be dumped near the diving sites...

After the announcement that planes would be used to spray water to get rid of the Northern haze, I'd say this idea is not beyond the realms of possibility....

Due to the success of the water spray in the north, they are expending the idea further...

Said planes will now be used to drop buck-loads of ice cubes over the coral reef in order to reduce sea temperature and prevent bleaching..

Reason they will close the diving site is they do not want any diver hurt during the ice cubes dropping exercise....

They are also waiting for the submarine delivery to use them as temperature probing device to monitor the success of the ice cube dropping exercise...

Expect a committee to be formed, some announcement about how everything was a success, maybe a Nobel price in the making and a 25% increase in tourism next year

It all makes perfect sense

Edited March 29, 201610 yr by CantSpell