Whenever you travel, it’s always best to research the places you’re visiting to make sure that you treat your surroundings respectfully. Unfortunately, that’s not what these travel bloggers did on their recent snorkelling trip!
In a report by Coconuts, photos of two travel bloggers have recently gone viral on Thai social media. Although the shots may look glamorous, marine scientists have actually condemned their behaviour.
The caption for these photos reads,
“I’m gonna sit here and take a break. [At] Mae Yai Bay, Mu Koh Surin. P.S. I’m sitting on a rock, not coral reefs.”
However, a former marine scientist at WWF Thailand, Jirapong Jeerawongsakul, called the two bloggers out in a post on Facebook, saying,
“Don’t show off your stupidity by saying you’re sitting on a rock. You just don’t know that they’re coral reefs.”
What’s even more shocking is that the particular coral reef these bloggers were visiting was actually located in an area that’s been closed for restoration!
“The Mu Koh Surin National Park has had problems with tourists trespassing into the Mae Yai Bay. This bay has been closed for coral reef restoration… These tourists’ activity disturbed the coral reefs as pictured.”
Source: Khaolak Triple
Another Thai marine scientist has also spoken out against these bloggers, saying that stepping, sitting, or posing on these reefs disturbs their restoration process. An excerpt from his Facebook post reads,
“I believe the world has so many places to pose for photos, without violating the laws and hurting our fellow sea creatures.”
Since this came to light, the bloggers put out an apology for their behaviour, saying, “We didn’t know any better. We’re sorry, and we won’t do it again. The park officials have disciplined and fined us.”
This is definitely a lesson everyone needs to learn. Let’s treat our environment with a little more respect!
Also read: Thailand Introduces Smoking Ban on 20 Beaches and RM12,000 Fine if Law is Broken
