Koh Tachai
Part of the Similan Islands off the Coast of Sothern Thailand is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to or seen. The azure waters have a glow I've never seen before and if there was a desert Island paradise to get washed up on it would be this one. The sand is some of the finest I've encountered anywhere in the world. (I always note the quality of the sand, because I'm partial to creating sand sculptures and I remember what the sand is like.) The Island is overflowing with wildlife. Huge land crabs can be found metres from the beach in their damp tree root holes. We watched sharks hunting in the shallows, the coral reef was quite spectacular for a snorkel and it was so overcrowded I felt guilty we were even there. It felt really intrusive.
Day Trippers
We arrived in a giant speedboat after a 1 hour dash across the sea from port. There were 30 or 40 passengers on our boat. When we arrived, the other boats were lined up offshore in a long chain. There must have been a few hundred people on the beach. Although the people were all really well behaved, mostly frolicking in the waves, taking photographs or peering into the water from the rocks, the strain on this tiny island could be seen in the huge influx of daily visitors, purely in terms of constant disturbance.
Islands Galore
There are plenty of Islands to see when in Thailand. It's famous for it's beautiful forest topped pinnacles jutting out into the Andaman sea. Koh Tachai was just one of those really beautiful day trips which was very popular for it's snorkelling and great beach. I found out soon after our visit that the government had closed the island indefinitely, citing urgent conservation. I was somewhat relieved, my guilt assuaged somewhat and felt somewhat fortunate I had managed to visit such a beautiful place, just once.
Snorkelling on the Reef
The reef was full of wonderful corals of all kinds and colourful fish darting between the rocks. The coral sand, produced by Parrot fish, chewing the coral and excreting it gave the bottom a white reflective look and the water was just the right depth and clarity to literally glow a bright green. It truly was an Island paradise in the textbook sense and the thin gently sloping beach gave visitors a perfect swimming experience .
Coco (Very Beautiful)
Our guide, the entertaining Coco Very Beautiful as s/he called herself, took us on a nature tour and we discovered hairy legged crabs. I saw many crabs in Thailand from tiny bubbler crabs to hauntingly exotic ghost crabs and many playful hermit crabs. Even one which had made it's home in a plastic bottle top but the Hairy Legged Land Crabs were a different level of exotic. They were large, slow moving land crabs and to actually see them in the trees felt like a glimpse into the prehistoric world. It made me think of their spider cousins who descended from the first crab-like chelicerate species who walked upon the land many millions of years ago
Visitors
For those of us lucky enough to have visited Tachai, it will always be a memorable experience. The government of Thailand decided to close the Island indefinitely because of the threat to wildlife. Scientists will be allowed to visit and a very limited amount of snorkeling trips will be allowed but they won't be landing on the beaches. It will hopefully recover quickly from the sheer amount of people. The disturbance from the sightseers for the local wildlife will recede into their collective memory. It's both a pity but a poignant reminder of our collective impact on the world. Visitors that day were from all over the world and many from South Asia itself. This football team were on tour and had some time off along with the millions of tourists attracted to Thailand's beautiful beaches every year.
The Crew
There were at least 10 large speedboats each moored up off the beach with a crew of 4 or 5 taking 300-400 passengers each day to the small island. 365 days per year. 125,000 human visitors each year was alot. Each boat dropped anchor, potentially damaging coral every day. Over years that could destroy the reef.
Coco (Very Beautiful)
Our guide was very charming and made our day fun, even serving up lunch in a hilarious naked costume apron. We were given very strict instructions to be careful, not to touch anything and not to take anything, leave any rubbish or go off unaided into the forest. It felt like a real privilege to be there and perhaps in 100 years time, visitors will somehow be able to virtually project onto the island in as many numbers as they want without actually ever setting foot on the beach
The Vines
I've seen Ivy take over trees in England before. I've even seen thick vines almost strangle trees here but nothing compares to Tropical vines. These invasive plant species seem to spread themselves so vigorously that they encompass a tree entirely. It is not uncommon for these type of vines to eventually kill the tree by taking all of it's nutrients and use it's carcass as a handy supporting mechanism. I always thought they were quite beautiful structures. How to be a tree without investing the massive resources of growing a trunk. This parasitic life-form has perfected the art.
If you ever get the chance to visit virgin forest or unspoilt nature, be sure to document it and respect it's nature. We still don't fully realise how much we depend on the ecosystem to support us as we trample it down, rip it up and turn it into holiday homes all over the world. We only have one planet and we need to look after it. In the future maybe Earth will be turned over to a nature reserve and we'll all live in sky cities, briefly returning to Earth on special travel visas. Let's be careful what we wish for.
