The residents, divers and marine biologists of Koh Tao are working tirelessly to keep the tiny island, its waters and shores, clean and green for future generations.
Visitor numbers are up by 40 per cent in Koh Tao this year, compared to 2023. I should’ve guessed that by clocking the pyramid of backpacks that practically barricades us in on the short ferry ride over to the tiny Thai island. Tao is the baby of the beloved trinity archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand; neighbouring Koh Phangan and Koh Samui, and measuring just 8 square miles – it’s one of the country’s smallest islands that’s continually inhabited year-round.
Koh Tao has always been described to me as a hub for divers, with incredible reefs and idyllic beaches. That’s what all my scuba-loving friends here in Thailand claim, and there’s no denying it is still that. It’s just really, really busy. While it might be one of the dinkiest, the tropical paradise island Koh Tao is home to Asia’s largest pub crawl, which sees up to 250 travellers a night, four nights a week, gather for a booze sesh that equates to a human roadblock along the shores and thin backstreets of Sairee Beach.
Luckily there’s huge marine conservation efforts going on and eco-tourism targets quietly rolling out, under the radar and, in many cases, under the sea. While the rowdy revellers sleep off their hangovers, committed divers and dive shop workers clean the beaches daily, with a determined commitment to save the reefs and famously diverse sea life that made the island popular in the first place.
Read more: Why you should visit Thailand during the off-season
“When I first moved here in 1994, 750 people lived on the island, now we have half a million visitors a year” muses Devrim Zahir, co-founder of New Heaven Dive School, which opened in 1995 and is one of the longest serving schools in Koh Tao, known for leading the way with their approach to marine conservation ingrained in everything they do. “It’s just common sense, it’s obvious to give something back.”
I ask him if the spike in tourists coming to the island contributed to the region’s nasty coral bleaching this summer but he’s not convinced….
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…