On Monday (March 23), park officers set out linked buoys to mark out the area, out to sea from the Sirinart National Park office building at Nai Yang Beach.
The Deputy Chief of the park, Neramit Songsang, said officials had surveyed the area on Sunday (March 22) and discovered an abundance of young coral. They want to protect and preserve the area to prevent it from being damaged by human activity, he explained.
“The reef we have found covers an area of 10 rai and we want to discourage people from swimming in the area and stop boats anchoring there, especially at low tide. This will give the coral a chance to develop fully.
“As for a long term, Sirinart National Park has requested a budget from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to support officers who will be working on land and in the water, watching over the reef.
“In the near future we will set out larger buoys where it will be okay for the boats to moor, in order to further protect the reef. We want to preserve it as a future tourist attraction where tourists can dive to see coral,” he said.
On Sunday, Sirinart National Park officials put “Do Not Enter” signs around the area and had officers and lifeguards monitor vessel traffic when the tide is low and you can see the reef clearly.