The White Gardens of Koh Rang

We went diving yesterday at Koh Rang National Marine Park to see what everyone has been talking about for the last couple of weeks namely the bleaching of the corals.

Now, coral bleaching isn't new to Thailand or its neighbours, however, this year the gravity of the bleaching and the sheer pace and volume in which the corals are changing colour is quite severe.
Bleaching has got many causes, but the main one here seems to be the rise in sea water temperature and this over a prolonged period of time.  Since the end of March the temperature hasn't been below 31c with peaks of 34c at times.

The change in temperature acts as a stressor on the algaes which lives on the corals and which actually give the colour to the coral skeleton.  This stress leads to a stimulated discharge of the colourful algaes and eventually to their death, turning the fragile corals in to a snow-white structure.

During our dives we noticed significant bleaching of the entire reef and some parts are even completely colourless, giving us the feeling that we were diving in a huge snowy white garden.  The pictures below, taking by Oliver Zarnack, show some of the corals on Koh Rang.
It is a very special feeling of diving in such conditions and in one way, everyone should go down there and see what we are doing to our beautiful planet and on the other hand it gives us an opportunity of monitoring closely their hopefully quick recovery.

But overall it hurts to see our reefs like this and we should all be very concerned about what causes this massive bleaching and how we can prevent this in the near future!

As for now we can only hope on some rain to cool things down, so that the corals can start recovering as soon as possible.

Happy Bubbles!

Speciality of the Month June : Peak Performance Buoyancy

Diving isn’t a strenuous activity if you’re doing it right, experienced divers will tell you that the key to this is neutral buoyancy. Your dives will become easier as you gain better control over your buoyancy.

You will feel more confident in the water and you will contribute to protect our valuable coral reefs as perfect buoyancy keeps you from crashing into and  damaging this fragile marine life. During the PADI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialty course you will learn how to wear the right amount of weight and how to find that perfect diving position.

One of the most important tools for mastering your buoyancy is your breathing. With slight changes in inhaling and exhaling you can adjust your buoyancy. Getting the hang of perfect buoyancy will improve your air consumption and gives you more energy and confidence.

Now that you’ve improved your air consumption and your underwater positioning you want to get the maximum out of your dives by extending your bottom times. The PADI Enriched Air Diver Specialty allows you in a safe way to stay longer at your favourites dive sites. Contact us to find out when courses start and to receive your 1000 THB discount by mentioning this blog.