The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources posted on its Facebook page that a team from the Coastal Marine Department (CMD) led by Paithul Panchaiyaphum, Director of the Marine Resources Conservation and Management Measures Division, visited the area located just off Phuket’s southernmost tip on Friday (Oct 20) to conduct an inspection.
The main attraction is a sunken boat on the sea bed that tour operators can offer as a diving attraction to interested divers. No specific details were provided on the vessel, however.
Authorities believe local tour operators will bring at least 100 tourists per day as the numbers of visitors to Phuket increases into the popular high season.
This effectively equates to one less tour boat per day visiting coral reefs nearby which will lessen the pressure on the reefs, which will go a long way to protecting them and allowing them to regenerate, officials said.
Volunteers from a local diving group called the Rak Raya Group worked with the CDM team to install a buoy at the site so as tour operators can easily navigate.
A full report on numbers of tourists visiting the site will also be managed by the Rak Raya Group and shared with the CDM team in due course, it was confirmed.