By Mary O’KEEFE

I normally write about the destruction of our planet but I found an inspirational story about resurrection that I would like to share. 

Maya Bay in Thailand is known for its breathtaking beauty and was the filming location of the movie “The Beach.” It is located on the island of Koh Phi Phi Leh –and it was being destroyed by tourism. 

The area is part of a national park in an uninhabited area but tourists came in droves to swim in its crystal clear water and to see where “The Beach” was filmed. 

Prior to COVID-19, tourism contributed about 20% of Thailand’s gross domestic product, according to a CNN report. So it was not easy to decide to close the bay down and lose that revenue. The issue boiled down to balancing the destruction brought by tourism with the need for the money tourists brought into the area. But the only way to save the area was to shut it down, and so Thailand closed Maya Bay in 2018.

The closure allowed damaged coral reefs and marine life to recover. 

“Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist at Kasetsart University, said, ‘The target point for Maya Bay was to set up a system that would help us, and would become a permanent system that would still allow tourists to enjoy Maya Bay. We used to get about 6,000-7,000 tourists visiting every day,’” as reported in 2024 by Asia News.

Thon is widely credited with convincing authorities to indefinitely close the Bay – a controversial decision at the time, according to a 2022 CNN report. 

The Bay had been a destination for tourism for decades; however, previously it was mostly visited by those living in Thailand. But “The Beach” showed the world the utopia that was Maya Bay and in came tourists from all over the world. 

“Over the years, the number of tourists increased from less than 1,000 to as many as 7,000 or 8,000 visitors a day at its peak, said Thon. Many were day-trippers visiting from nearby Phuket. On average, around 5,000 people entered the Bay each day,” according to the CNN report.

Boats were coming into the area; at times about 100 boats were in the area at the same time. The boats’ propellers did damage to the coral as they stirred up sand and, of course, their anchors slammed onto the sea floor. Tourists would walk on the reef, probably unaware of the damage they were doing. 

“Thon says they first checked on the corals around 30 years ago and 70%-80% of the Bay’s reef was intact.Years later, less than 8% remained,” according to CNN.

And, of course, the initial reason for coming to the area – the vast beautiful views of ocean – were littered with boats bringing tourists who (ironically) came to see the beautiful views. 

The Bay closed in 2018 and thousands of coral were replanted. 

In addition to the coral being damaged, Maya Bay used to be a place where blacktip sharks, lobsters and clownfish would flourish; but due to the impact of people splashing around in their home, these creatures no longer felt welcome and disappeared, according to Asia News. 

It was only after a few months after the closure that the sharks returned. 

The Bay opened just after the pandemic ended; however, it closed once again for only a few months during monsoon season. 

Authorities saw how successful the initial closure was and want to make certain Maya Bay remains on the recovery lists, so they are watching the effects of tourism very closely. They have implemented rules that include that no boats are allowed to enter the Bay and no swimming is allowed. Tourists can walk a few steps into the water but are limited as to how far they can go. Also it is a no smoking area. 

Thailand has also implemented educational programs that teach visitors about the ecological balance of the area. 

As tourism increases in Thailand, scientists are keeping a watchful eye on Maya Bay and walking that fine line between financial support tourism brings in and protecting what makes Maya Bay such a special place that tourists want to visit. 

Several U.S. parks have been closed or have restrictions to protect the environment, including the closure of Channel Islands National Park, which was closed to protect wildlife. Not surprising, closures came during government shutdowns when resources were fewer. 

It is amazing how the Earth can recover when someone cares enough. 

To learn more about Maya Bay from articles referenced visit: 

https://tinyurl.com/7avd258z and https://tinyurl.com/4bd2bh3n.

An extreme heat warning was issued by the National Weather Service through Friday. On Saturday it is expected to be downgraded to a heat advisory. 

“We have a very strong pressure center,” said a NOAA spokesperson. 

We will see temperatures into the hundreds today, Thursday, and tomorrow, and a slight cooling trend to the upper 90s on Saturday. Sunday will be the first time we see a break with temps in the upper 80s; however, temperatures will continue to be well above average into next week. Downtown Los Angeles average for this time of year is in the upper 60s. 

Winds will be calm and humidity low.