Thailand: Rebirth of a natural paradise

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an enormous toll on humankind — but it has given some natural habitats the chance to recover. While lockdowns brought international tourism to a stop, a gentle regeneration was underway in the turquoise waters of Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea.

Part of the Phi Phi Islands National Park was closed to visitors even before the pandemic. In early 2018, Thai authorities announced that Maya Bay, a destination made famous by the Leonardo DiCaprio movie "The Beach," would be closed to all visitors for four months annually to allow for the recovery of the battered coral reefs and sea life.

Before the pandemic, Phi Phi Islands National Park attracted more than 2 million visitors every year. Maya Bay, surrounded by towering, tree-clad cliffs, was the ideal location for DiCaprio's 2000 film. But thanks to its Hollywood fame, the bay was overrun by visitors — up to 6,000 people visited one of the area's narrow 250-meter long beaches every day.

This uncontrolled mass tourism devastated the area's delicate ecosystem. "The coral cover has decreased by more than 60% in just over 10 years," Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Kasetsart University told news agency Agence France-Presse. In 2018, he convinced the authorities to close part of the bay.

Just over a year later, the pandemic struck and shut down the area completely. Due to Thailand's strict travel regulations, the number of visitors dwindled to almost zero. Scientists seized the opportunity to revive the island chain. Here, marine biologist Kullawit Limchularat (left) and his team can be seen releasing a young bamboo shark in an effort to repopulate the reef.

More than 40% of the corals transplanted in Maya Bay have survived. There is also good news for other marine animals: Dozens of endangered and vulnerable species like the blacktip shark, hawksbill turtle and whale shark have already returned. "Everything suggests that there is more reproduction, especially among sharks, which particularly appreciate calm waters," said Thon.

Now that Thailand has reopened to international visitors, tourism is slowly starting to pick up in the islands. Most of the tourists are still locals, but foreigners are also gradually coming back. "We didn't just come to dive in the turquoise water. We also want to help," Franck, a visitor from Paris, told AFP. "It would be fantastic if the island stayed this quiet."

Beginning on January 1, Maya Bay is set to reopen to tourists. They will once again be allowed to visit the white-sand beaches and dive in the dazzling waters, but they'll have to follow strict new rules aimed at limiting the number of visitors and the environmental damage.

A maximum of 300 tourists will be allowed to visit the picturesque bay every day. Tourist boats, like these seen in nearby Pi Leh Bay, are no longer allowed to enter the area; instead, they will be redirected to a pier away from the famous cove on the other side of the island. Thailand hopes to make the Phi Phi islands a role model for a new, more sustainable type of tourism.